Cages are constructed with semi-rigid plastic mesh tied to steel hoops. The cage is supported by 4 1" PVC pipes. Hoops are formed with a diameter of 3.5 ft. The mesh size is determined by the minimum size of fish to be retained. Fry and fingerling cages should have 1/4" and 1/2" mesh and production cages should have 3/4" mesh. The cage is topped by a lid made of steel hardware cloth secured to a hoop. A demand feeder is attached to the lid with its toggle bar extending into the cage. Styrofoam floats are attached to the PVC pipes and the cage floats in the pond.


Cage Construction
Demand Feeder Construction

Farmers with existing ponds can deploy the cages with fingerlings at fixed intervals and harvest each at the end of its production period. A consistent quantity of well grown tilapia builds demand and market opportunities.

An economic analysis showed good potential for profitability.