Image: ONU / Gobernación de Huila / FIS

Huila Solidifies Position as Colombia's Top Aquaculture Producer

COLOMBIA
Monday, April 15, 2024, 01:00 (GMT + 9)

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development released data on the behavior of the country's aquaculture chain, showing that, despite the adversities faced by Huila producers, the department continues to rebound as the country's leading fish producer.

According to these figures, Huila achieved a production of around 73,985 tons, mainly of Tilapia, during the year 2023, which places it at the head of national production with a share of 37.4%, followed far behind by Meta with 23,098 tons, representing 11%, Tolima with 17,296 tons, corresponding to 8.7%, and Córdoba with 10,372 tons, corresponding to 5.2% of the country's total production.

Although in Colombia there was a drop in fish production corresponding to 1.07%, where Huila decreased by 4,542 tons, which represents a contraction of 5.78% of local production and 1.6% of national production, phenomenon attributed to climatic factors, and the outbreak of the Streptococcus agalactiae bacteria, the department continues to rebound in continental aquaculture production.

Challenges

According to Edison Javier Henao Palacios, technical secretary of the Huila fish farming chain, the department must advance in health matters, and formalization of aquaculture properties, to face the contingencies derived mainly from the effects of climate change.

“Today we must all join forces to get ahead of a situation like the one presented in 2023, and for this the departmental government has been working hand in hand with the Universidad Surcolombiana, and all the actors in the chain, in a science and technology project. , especially the issue of epidemiological surveillance that allows immediate responses to these changes.”

The official argued that progress is also being made in the formulation of new projects to continue moving in that direction.

"We have been accompanying the structuring of two science and technology projects to be presented to the Ministry of Sciences, to face all challenges in health matters, the development of vaccines, implementation of technologies for health and biosafety of the sector, and at the same time shield the production issue.”

Source: Gobernación de Huila 

Finally, Henao Palacios said that another challenge for this value chain is to continue growing the number of formalized aquaculture farms.

"From the departmental government we continue to encourage our producers to continue accessing the formalization processes of productive establishments, of course it has been growing in that year, achieving that 184 producers in the department of Huila have cultivation permits, and thanks to a resolution issued by the National Aquaculture and Fisheries Authority – AUNAP, we believe that this year we can increase the number of formalized fish farmers by a representative figure, which allows them to be identified and thus act in a timely manner when any type of disease outbreak or affectation occurs. climate,” concluded the secretary of the Huila aquaculture chain.

Source: Gobernación de Huila (Translated from the original in Spanish)

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