Aquaponic in Sierra Leone: Project progress and lessons learnt

The Salone Aquaponic project is now ongoing for over 3 years. We installed a first test system at the Salone Aquaponic office in Freetown. Expansion plans are made to further expand the system to a commercial viable operation. Several hotels, businesses and private customers have expressed their strong interest in pruchasing fresh and organically produced local vegetables and herbs. Here are some pictures from our current crops. The arabic mint is performing great with good taste!

The aquaponic system on our veranda at the Freetown office

Arabic mint is performing great in the aquaponic system. The mint leaves give a great tea and spice up your salads, like tabouleh and couscous salad.

Italian basil, a intensive flavour, great for pizza, pasta and salads.

Garden egg growing in the media beds

Garden egg flowering in the aquaponic system

Aquaponic farming: The sustainable way of fish and vegetable production

Aquaponic offer 2 benefits in one: It produces delicious fish, like Tilapia and also produces fresh vegetables by converting the fish poop to organic fertilizer. Especially in development countries, aquaponic can be a new way of farming, in areas of low soil fertility or in urban areas.

Mint and onions growing in the media beds.

Delicious fresh mint has a high market price in Sierra Leone. It can be used for fresh tea and for salads.

Parsley grow excessevly in the NFT system. It produces more than we can eat. Parsley can be fed to the Tilapia

Growing a papaya tree in aquaponics media bed

Good bearing tomato plant. In a few weeks we harvest another 10 - 15 tomatoes.

Spring onions growing in the NFT system

Also a carrot is growing in the NFT system.

Aquaponic Tilapia farming in West Africa

Parsley, onions, mint and tomatoe update on aquaponics

Here are some updates on the aquaponic system in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Parsley, onions, mint and tomatoes are growing well... Looking forward to sell the parsley from the NFT system to a nearby restaurant soon!

Aquaponic parsley growing in the NFT system

Tomato plant harvested, one tomatoe still left!!!

Real onions and mint growing in the media bed.

Tomatoes are a real opportunity due to their demand and high market price

Pepper plant having plenty of mealy bugs but still bearing fruit. The pepper was an imported hybrid variety. next time we go with the local seeds!

Harvesting tomatoes and corn from aquaponic

It is harvest time: After 2 months of growth we can harvest the first tomatoes and corn from the aquaponic system. With the aquaponic technology we are able to produce vegetables, like tomatoes and corn throughout the year without depending on the season. Stay tuned.

Fresh tomatoes harvested from the aquaponic system

A huge tomatoe plant growing and bearing many tomatoes

Tomatoes in the aquaponic system is a good source of income and own supply

Building a wooden rack where the tomatoe plants can grow on it

Fresh parsley in the NFT aquaponic system

Large corn (maize) performs well in the aquaponic system

Since we have the NFT system, we never bought parsley again on the market

Young hot pepper seedlings in the media beds.

Our aquaponic garden in Freetown

Aquaponic system in Sierra Leone for vegetables and tilapia rearing

The aquaponic system is producing various herbs and vegetables as well as delicious Tilapia fish, which are a good source of protein. Aquaponic is a good way of mitigating the high food costs in aquaculture by providing extra income from the plants. Furthermore aquaponic systems act as a cost safer, when it comes to filtration: Whilst in traditional aquaculture, filtration to remove nitrates and toxins from the system is an expensive task, also, because of the amount of fresh water to be exchanged in order to maintain water quality. In an aquaponic system, plants act as a bio filter by removing the ammonia and nitrates from the system, while providing extra income for the farmers and also safe fresh water. Aquaponic is a good and sustainable farming solution for Sierra Leone, to provide high quality organic food to people.

Aquaponic system with corn and tomoatoes thriving

DIY fish feed formulation using moringa leaves is beneficial for the fish. The fish feaces provide nutrients for the plants.

Using an underwater camera to assess the health of the tilapia broodstock

Tomatoes growing on gravel media bed

Parsley, tomatoe seedlings and spring onions growing in soilless NFT system

Corn showing fast growth in the gravel media bed

Parsley and carrots growing in the NFT system

Sweet potatoe leaves re-growth after first harvest: Aquaponic allows continoues harvest throughout the dry season

Tomatoes starting to bulb. On;y a few more weeks to harvest.

STAY TUNED FOR MORE INFORMATIONS ON AQUAPONIC!

Aquaponic system update: Tubers and maize performing well

Our latest update on the growth of our plants in the aquaponic system: Tomatoes, maize, parsley and sweet potatoes showing strong growth. A suprise was the performance of the sweet potatoes, which are tubers with excess leave growth. Sweet potatoes are a staple diet for many Sierra Leoneans, better know locally as "petete lif". Aquaponic tuber production might be an option to counteract extreme high food prices of foods like potatoe leaves in Sierra Leone. 

Aquaponic tubers and maize showing fast growth

The media beds with various nutrituos plants: Tomatoes, corn, sweet potatoes, carrots and ginger.

Tomatoes starting to bulb fruits.

Second harverst for the parsley growing in the NFT system

Pruned moringa tree for strong leave production: Moringa as an excellent substitute for fish feed.