Austrian partner Peter Neudecker has built over 70 aquaponics systems worldwide with his company “Andersfarm.”
Currently, “Andersfarm” produces around 10 tons of African catfish per year with minimal energy and water consumption and low maintenance costs. This flagship system has been running self-sustaining and stable for years.
The same type of fish will be farmed in Namibia. The fish fillets will be positioned as a branded product (organic, sustainable, and environmentally friendly) and, among other things, exported to nearby South Africa.
An aquaponic fish farm is a stable system that allows for profitable, sustainable, and scalable fish farming in a small space. We plan to produce 150 tons of fish after 3 to 4 years, laying the foundation for economic success.
With an investment cost of approximately 150,000 euros, around 15 tons of fish fillets can be produced annually, with production costs of 2 euros per kilogram of fish and an export price of at least 10 euros per kilogram to South Africa. The plan is to double the capacity and yield annually through reinvestment.
In Namibia, the climate also benefits the aquaponic fish farm. While in Europe, the systems need to be heated during the winter and fish are harvested three times a year, in Namibia, a system can operate year-round without additional heating, thereby increasing the yield to four harvests per year.
As waste, a nutrient solution is produced, which is used as fertilizer for renaturation and agriculture. The special feature of aquaponics is the transformation of “toxic” fish waste into fertilizer.
The wastewater is passed through biofilters and converted into fertilizer. This fertilizer is initially used to cultivate the attached vegetable farm. Aquaponics thus enables the closed cultivation of fruits and vegetables for early agricultural yields.
Subsequently, as the system expands, the highly nutrient-rich fertilizer can be used agriculturally, for example, for corn cultivation. Additionally, fish carcasses are used as feed for poultry farming.
