Government to inject Shs200 billion in fish farming
Agriculture minister Vincent Ssempijja (L) and other officials harvest fish from one of the cages on Lake Victoria in Entebbe. The loan is expected to address challenges facing the lake basin across five countries. Photo by Eve Muganga
What you need to know:
- According to Dr Gladys Bwanika, the company’s chief executive officers, they have 52 individual farmers who formed an association for purposes of bulk production in a bid to meet the high market demand.
Government is planning to inject more Shs200 billion this financial year to promote aquaculture and fish farming in a bid to cope with high competition for the ready market outside Uganda.
’’The sector itself takes charge of fisheries including aqua culture so government is to invest some considerable resources to promote fish farming and aqua culture in cages and ponds as well as restocking small lakes,’’ said the Minister of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries, Mr Vincent Ssempijja.
He said that the whole plan was to invest Shs400 billion annually year but for this year, it would take Shs200 billion.
’’We are looking for some donors to come and see that we boost fish farming. We want to train many youth and women interested into fish farming, ‘’ he added.
He made the remarks on Monday when he visited Pearl Aquatic Company at Tende Bay in Garuga in Katabi town council, Wakiso District.
According to Dr Gladys Bwanika, the company’s chief executive officers, they have 52 individual farmers who formed an association for purposes of bulk production in a bid to meet the high market demand.
“We have 15 cages that were installed into the lake with a target of producing 198 tons per year. We have been in production for two years and sequenced our production in order to put on market 14 tons every months. We harvest two cages every month,’’ said Dr Bwanika .
