Fish sausages make it easy to reap big from the delicacy

Concerned about the short shelf life of fish, farmers devised means of making money from processing it to stay for longer periods.
Dr Nasser Kasozi from Abi Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Abzard) in Arua and Lovin Kobusingye, the proprietor of Catifarms, are currently processing Alestes baremoze (Angara) fish fillet into sausages.
Dr Kasozi explains that research shows Angara has high nutritional values such as proteins, fatty acids, fat-soluble vitamins and micronutrients but it is highly perishable even under refrigeration. Besides, most fishermen on Lake Albert dry it on bare ground, which is unhealthy for Angara.

Adding value
The duo thus obtained a grant from National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) to add value to Angara, commonly consumed by people from West Nile.

“The short shelf life of fish is one of the factors that motivated us to introduce fish sausages. Although fish is a delicacy for many people, it is not easily stored for longer periods,” Kobusingye said.

Aside from sausages, they also make fish powder which can be found in supermarkets within Kampala.

Kobusingye, who processes the sausages in Kampala, says since Angara contains a lot of bones, it is important to process its fillet into sausages for easy consumption.

The bones are also processed into powder which can either be consumed directly or added in soup to boost the food nutrients.
The duo also packages fish fillet, fish samosa, fish powder, fish steak and fish chops. TFor instance I kg package is sold at Shs27, 000 and a half kg at Shs12, 000.

Nutritional benefits of fish

Location
Good for nursing mothers. Fish contains nutrients that are crucial during development. For instance Omega-3 fatty acids are absolutely essential for growth and development. It is often recommended that expecting and nursing mothers eat enough omega-3 fatty acids.

Treats depression. Fish may help prevent and treat depression, making you a happier person. Depression is a serious and incredibly common mental disorder.

Export
Currently, Dr Kasozi is also breeding pebley fish at Abzard on research basis to establish whether it is possible for farmers to breed it in ponds. He says this will make value addition easy because farmers will have readily available stock to supply.

Pebley fish is preserved in salt and can be stored for one year without getting spoilt and mainly exported to Ugandans living abroad who enjoy the delicacy.

Kobusingye is working with 470 fish farmers, mostly women. She says some farmers dealing in raring aqua fish species such as Tilapia have expanded their business to 10 ponds except for pebley fish species where they deal with fishermen from Lake Albert.

In 2012, when the processing exercise started, Kobusingye would produce about one tonne of sausages daily. “Most supermarkets in the country are usually stocked with beef and pork sausages. But this should be no more because consumers now have a new choice -fish sausages,” she said.

At the moment, Kobusingye and partners are aiming at producing at least five tonnes of sausages a day from all fish species, although they are limited by funds. The team is also optimistic that the farm will be able to supply both the local and global market in the near future.