MY VISION IS TO BECOME THE MAJOR FISH FEED PRODUCER IN DELTA STATE, SAYS ENYENAKPOR.
YAGEPreneur Loveth Enyenakpor is the CEO of JJ EnyensFarms Enterprises located in Abraka in Ethiope East Local Government Area, her origin. She attended Delta State University, Abraka where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Fine and Applied Arts. She was jobless for nine years before herenrolment in the Delta State Government’s Youth Agricultural Entrepreneurs Programme (YAGEP.) As one of the 2016/2017 Cycle beneficiaries trained and established in Fish Production at Ugbokodo-Okpe YAGEP Fish Farm Cluster, she had upon her first harvest relocated to her family land in Abraka, where she continued in business. She has grown into a reputable farmer with specialty in catfish and fish feed production. She trains her fish to table size before sales.
She has three employees and has trained many interns from the Delta State University, Abraka; and has been able to acquire a plot of land in Abraka for use as her permanent site. She diversified into Fish Feed Production, procuring a pelleting machine and has the vision to become the major fish feed producer in Delta State. She feeds her fish from two months tillmaturity with self-made fish feed. In 2019, she joined the fifth cohort of the Tony Elumelu Foundation programme (TEF).
Her story.
“When I graduated from the University 10 years ago, I never knew I would become an entrepreneur. I had wanted to work either in the State or Federal Civil Service, but remained unemployed till I got enrolled with the YAGEP. I did not know anything about managing a business. All I know and have are because of the training I received. This has had positive impact on my family as my kids attend one of the best schools inAbraka. ‘’It is good news to be part of the Tony ElumeluFoundation Entrepreneurship Programme. Out of over 216,000 applicants across African countries, I was among the 3,050 selected. No doubt, my training under YAGEP gave me an edge. I am grateful and I believe this is the beginning of my entrepreneurship journey. Going by our current rate, we intend to achieve 85% of fish stocked and make over 200%profit by using natural methods to prevent fish death. We ensure proper feeding of fish and not over feeding them because if the fish is unable to consume the feed, the leftover will pollute the water, and this can lead to death. With the injection of the $5,000 funding received from TEF, JJ Enyens Farms Enterprises has two additional tarpaulin fish tanks that can conveniently stock 2,000 fish to maturity and a pelleting machine that can produce 500 kilogrammes of feeds in one hour. The quality of fingerlings and table sized fish produced is my unique selling point. I take time to identify fast growing and disease resistant fingerlings through proper consultation either with a specialist or physical evaluation from several farms before making a pick on the fingerlings.”
By Gertrude Onyekachukwu-Uteh