Grain farmers called to action as new fish feed factory opens

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Uganda’s journey toward becoming a powerhouse in aquaculture took a major leap with the opening of the De Heus Tilapia feeds factory in Buikwe district recently.

Backed by Dutch expertise and presidential support, the facility promises to revolutionise fish farming and grain supply chains countrywide.

Odrek Rwabwogo, the chairperson of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development, visited the facility last week.

He was accompanied by a delegation that included Moses Ssebagala from the Grain Council of Uganda. The delegation toured the facility and observed its production processes and cutting-edge technology.

Rwabwogo commended the opportunities the factory has created.

“This is a turning point for Uganda’s food security and export competitiveness,” he remarked.

He identified three major areas of impact:

• Food security – “No countrycan grow animal production without reliable feed. With Uganda’s growing population, factories like De Heus are essential for ensuring food safety, security and income generation.”
• Youth empowerment – Rwabwogo lauded the young Ugandan professionals working as production experts and quality controllers at the factory.
• Export readiness – “With more companies like De Heus, Uganda can certify, standardise and compete globally — producing up to one million tonnes of fish and unlocking $1.5b in foreign exchange.”

Operating at half capacity, De Heus consumes 11,000 tonnes of soya, 12,000 tonnes of maize and 8,000 tonnes of cassava.

These figures are expected to double, presenting opportunities for farmers in Busoga, Acholi and other sub-regions to supply grains consistently and benefit from stable markets.

Bon Tjeenk Willink, managing director of De Heus Uganda, shared the company’s vision during the tour.

“We believe East Africa is poised for strong growth in aquaculture. That’s why we built this factory in Uganda— to help fish farms scale,” he said.

He also highlighted Uganda’s favourable climate and abundance of raw materials such as soya, cassava and maize as key reasons for choosing the country as a base.

Willink outlined the company’s long-term goal of producing over one million tonnes of animal feed annually by 2035.

Background

The modern facility, inaugurated by President Yoweri Museveni on September 4, is expected to require 200,000 metric tonnes of grain annually, especially maize and soya.

The factory is owned by a Dutch family that is also behind Koudijs Nutrition BV, sponsors of the Best Farmers Competition organised by Vision Group in partnership with the Embassy of the Netherlands, dfcu Bank, and KLM Airlines.