Business plan Tilapia cage farming in Tete Zambezi Valley, Mozambique

Tete province offers great opportunities for cage farming of tilapia in Lake Cahora Bassa. The climate and water quality are favourable for fish production, and the fast economic developments in the region will facilitate fish sales. In Tete tilapia (pende) is highly valued food. Major markets for tilapia will be markets in Tete province and caterers of mining companies. Tete is strategically positioned with regard to the Beira corridor in the south and the Nacala corridor to the east (the completion of this last corridor with improved railway system to the international harbour of Nacala is expected within 5 years). Hence export of tilapia to neighbouring provinces (e.g. Manica, Zambezia and Nampula) and neighbouring countries Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe is facilitated by these corridors. The economics in tilapia farming are mainly dependent on price of fish feed (major cost) and fish sales price (only source of benefits). In this business plan the economics of a cage farm in Lake Cahora Bassa with a production of 3000 tons of tilapia per year were considered.