Aquaponics offers many advantages that make it a suitable investment option. Firstly, it offers a mechanism for making profit and if linked to a Satellite Grower Scheme, can create wealth for the stakeholders involved in this business. A PPP co-funding model can be used to satisfy the need that the investor has for returns and the ability of the State to contribute resources to increase the scale of the business and benefit the employees as equity partners.
Superior Quality Crops and Healthy Living: Aquaponics’ Unique Selling Points
Aquaponics crops are renowned for their excellent flavour due to the abundance of natural nutrients and water which enable the plants to grow optimally. This, combined with the healthiness of the crops, is the greatest selling point for aquaponics farmers. As we do not use traditional pesticides in an aquaponics system, the crops not only taste good but are also very healthy to eat.
Boosting Rural Employment and Reducing Urban Migration
Create a business and you create jobs. As a business it generates about 1.5 permanent employment opportunities per 300m2 tunnel erected. The day-to-day work load is not high but picking and packing of crops is time consuming and requires a careful hand, necessitating the use of labour.
Farming generally occurs in rural areas and as such an investment into an aquaponics facility keeps people in the rural areas by providing employment there. This offers the State a massive advantage as it reduces urban migration. Aquaponics is an intensive activity requiring minimal space and, as it does not rely on the soil, can be done in marginal areas. As such, farmland that is unsuitable for traditional crop or stock farming can usually be utilised.
Sustainability: Efficient Resource Utilization
Aquaponics is dependent on a stable supply of electricity but does not require much electricity. Our 300m2 aquaponics tunnels utilise around 1kW of power each and as such, the entire operation can be backed up with an ATS generator at an affordable rate.
A 300m2 tunnel system utilises less than 500ℓ of water per day to produce both fish and vegetables, as such it is very economical in terms of water use. The quality of the water must be high.
“People often require assistance with the development of an Aquaponics or Aquaculture Business. We offer a complete package from the Concept Design, through Infrastructure Design & Costing, to Construction of ergonomically designed, cost effective Production Facilities, through on-site Training to Mentorship support, all aimed at giving the new start-up entrepreneur the best possible chance of success,” says Leslie Ter Morshuizen, owner of Aqua Africa.