The Migori County government has initiated the construction of a modern fish landing site equipped with a cold storage facility at God Kachola beach. This facility, estimated to cost Ksh. 150 million, aims to reduce post-harvest losses that have plagued the fishing community.
Last week, officers from the county’s agriculture department conducted a public participation exercise at the beach to gather input from the local fisher folk. Lucas Museda, Migori County’s executive committee member for Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries management, stated that the cooling facility’s construction, set to commence soon, will address the post-harvest challenges in the region.
He highlighted that the fishing community has faced significant losses due to the lack of adequate cooling facilities at the beach.
Additionally, Museda mentioned that the county government is constructing fish preservation facilities in major towns such as Isebania, Migori, and Rongo. Meanwhile, fishermen at Migingo Island are appealing to the government for assistance in acquiring fish preservation facilities.
Juma Mbaya, the secretary of the Migingo beach management unit, reported that the cooling facilities they relied on were recently destroyed by heavy tides. As a result, they are now compelled to transport their fish to the mainland immediately to find a market, due to the lack of storage facilities on the island.