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Desertfoods, South African aquaculture firm partner in mega aquaponics project

August 16, 2021  By  Nestor Arellano


(Image: Integrated Aquaculture)

A South African land-based fish farm operator and a Germany-based food producer are working together to create an aquaponics facility that will produce 200 tons of fresh water fish and vegetable annually.

Integrated Aquaculture is primarily a tilapia grower raising one ton of the fish per month. The Hekpoort, South Africa-based company also provides education, consultation, construction, and management services for the aquaponics industry.

Aquaponics couples the cultivation of plants in a soilless, water-based media with the breeding of fish in a land-based aquaculture system.

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Integrated Aquaculture’s partnership with Desertfoods International of Dummerstorf, Germany, aims to build the largest aquaponics facility in South Africa. Desertfoods is dedicated to addressing food security through the sustainable cultivation of vegetables and fish in multi-loop aquaponic farms.

The project kicked off early this month following an eight-month construction phase.

Lance Quiding, chief executive office of Integrated Aquaculture, said the project is in line with the government of South Africa’s strategy for food safety and security and “water-wise” farming.

“The impact of the current pandemic in combination with the changing weather patterns have underpinned our firm belief that the resilient and sustainable aquaponic farming practice is a key ingredient for the much-needed revolution of our country’s food and agriculture system,” the Southern Times Africa quoted Quiding as saying.

Karsten Jansen, co-founder of Desertfoods International, said that the project will serve as a blueprint that can be replicated other Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries.


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