UGACHICK Poultry Breeders has invested $1.2m (about sh2.4b) in a drive to increase its fish feed production capacity.
Speaking at the launch of a new facility at Magigye in Gayaza in Wakiso recently, Aga Ssekalala Senior, the board chairman, said the project was aimed at encouraging fish farming.
He said the new floating feed would enable easy monitoring of fish feeding habits and ensure minimise waste “because it does not allow the feed to mix with silt.”
“Due to the absence of floating fish feed on the market, many large-scale farmers have not been able to start cage farming on the lakes,” Ssekalala said.
He added that aquaculture would boost Uganda’s declining fish stocks and export earnings.
Ssekalala said the feed contained maize, toasted soy bean, fish, wheat and sunflower products. He added the feed was also good to raise fish commercially in cages, tanks or ponds.
CDE Brussels gave funds for technical assistance. A $450,000 grant was also secured from USAID through the Fish and LEAD project.
Ssekalala said it was bad that other human protein sources available were expensive, while fish prices had greatly increased due to emmense pressure on the lakes.
“Fish farming will enable even low-income earners to buy fish, hence lowering the country’s malnutrition problems,” Ssekalala said.
