Fish farming, considered a pastime venture, has now grown by 140 per cent from 285 tonnes in 1999 to an estimated 40,000 tonnes in 2006, said an official of Uganda's Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries.
Addressing fish farmers during a one-day forum organised by the Danish Development Agency (Danida) in Kampala on July 10, the Head of Aquaculture Unit in the ministry, Dr. Wilson Mwanja said the future of aquaculture was bright. The dramatic growth has been attributed to the empowerment of the private sector and unfolding market opportunities.
Mwanja said the national production of fish now stands at 440,000 metric tonnes annually. He said most of the fish catch comes from Lake Victoria and Lake Kyoga, which produce on average 250,000 tonnes annually; 180,000 tonnes from Lake Victoria and about 75,000 tonnes from Lake Kyoga. At Shs2,000 ($1.20) for a kilo of fish, this translates to Shs880 billion.
Mwanja said Uganda's fish exports to the premium markets of EU, US, Japan and Middle East currently stand at $150 million. Exports to the regional markets of South Africa, the Great Lakes Region states of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda, Burundi and Sudan stand at between $30million and $40 million.
The Monitor
