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By Julius Mugaga/ KMA Updates.
Fish ponds constructed by Kajjansi Aquaculture services centrein Zambia/Courtesy Photo.
Kampala, Uganda: Fish farming is seeing a stretch in development compared to how the sub sector was portrayed before hence increased growth of the entire sector.
Aquaculture subsector did not exist until 1953 with the establishment of a government owned aquaculture experimental station at Kajjansi off the current Kampala-Entebbe Expressway.
The main objective of the station was to conduct research and extension services, produce and distribute fish fry to farmers.
Geomembrane fish ponds constructed by Kajjansi Aquaculture Services Centre in Lilongwe, Malawi/Courtesy Photo.
In 1990s, government of Uganda started promoting commercial aquaculture. Consequently, aquaculture production increased from about 2,300 tons in 2002 to 120,000 tons by 2018.
As human population in Uganda is increasing at a rate of 3% per year, the annual demand for fish for human consumption and trade is supposed to increase from the present 870,000 tons to 1,700,000 tons by 2025 of which 1 million tons is expected from aquaculture by 2030, to maximize the contribution of the subsector in poverty alleviation and food security in Uganda.
In Uganda, nearly 50 percent of its population is depending on fish for proteins.
Fish pond already stocked with fish constructed by Kajjansi Aquaculture Services Centre/Courtesy Photo.
Julius Mugaga of Kabuubi Media Africa conducted an exclusive Q&A interview with Ofwono Godfrey, the Director
Kajjansi Aquaculture Services Centre (U) Ltd a private company which supports the fish farming sector seeking to understand the broader picture of the sub-sector;
Ofwono Godfrey, Director Kajjansi Aquaculture Services Centre (U) Ltd. Photo by Julius Mugaga.
With reference to the vibrancy of the subsector which came around 1990s, how did you quickly generate the courage to venture into it?
As Kajjansi Aquaculture Services Centre understood the heavy procedure farmers needed to go through if they are to sail in this sub sector thereby the birth of Aqua-Tech Uganda in 2012 which later on became Kajjansi Aquaculture Services Centre (U) Ltd (KASC) as to majorly offer services like supply of fish feeds, dam liners, fish fingerlings, fish cages, consultancy and training in addition to all aquaculture inputs.
And as of now you can observe that the sub sector is growing at high rate as KASC has a large market in Uganda which is not even fully tapped including neighboring countries like Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia in the Western part of Africa where we have been supporting fish farmers.
In your introduction, you did mention of different services, to what extent and then like other consultancy institutions, are you profit oriented?
Our services are not limited to Uganda as a country but we go beyond borders to countries like South Sudan, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia and others.
We also do outreaches to farmers’ sites to assess them and guide them on how to further properly run them.
However our consultancy services are free, even you Julius Mugaga, you can wake up tomorrow morning and raise me or WhatsApp me on any issue you would like our guidance. We do physical works assessing sites for feasibility, constructing fish ponds, maintaining them, sell fish feeds to farmers, inputs and others at a relatively agreed cost.
As Kajjansi Aquaculture Services Centre, what do you feel proud of in your nine years of existence services in this sub sector?
Well, we always feel energized as thousands of Ugandan and other fish farmers outside the country who have sailed to accomplish their dreams by our advice and services. Secondly, we feel encouraged whenever our clients appreciate our services.
Most ventures were heavily hit by the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic and some completely closed, did you manage to survive?
You know our business falls under the mighty agricultural sector, which remained operational throughout the tough time of Covid-19 therefore our Centre as well kept on with a burning candle.
Remember fish is food, and food is a basic need for a person’s life therefore the pattern was a direct reflection of our existence even when others were hit.
However, the business for some farmers was down since there was limitations on purchase of feeds.
Technical team of Kajjansi Aquaculture Services Centre being welcomed by the Italian aquaculture investors in Rome, Italy/Courtesy Photo.
Executive Director of Kajjansi Aquaculture Services Centre guiding aquaculture investors before construction of fish ponds/Courtesy Photo.
Training fish farmers on testing water quality/Courtesy Photo.
As you are directly involved in the sub sector, what could be some of the shortcomings ‘you’/farmers are facing?
As you well know every venture will always have some challenges, this is not different with this sub sector, for example; fish feeds are still expensive, influence of unqualified ‘consultants’, market competition between cultured fish and wild fish (those from natural sources like lakes, rivers, among others) and lack of technical guidance by farmers are some of the greatest challenges facing the sub sector.
Looking at the procedure mentioned above which you coined ‘heavy’, what do a Ugandan farmer need to start this kind of farming?
Floating fish feeds supplied by Kajjansi Aquaculture Services Centre/Courtesy Photo.
Fish feeds at Kajjansi Aquaculture Services Centre/Courtesy Photo.
Fish fingerlings packed and ready for dispatch by Kajjansi Aquaculture Services Centre/Courtesy Photo.
Yeah, a true fish farmer needs quite some basic requirements if s/he will benefit from the venture; one should ensure has land with reliable water supply if they’re to have land-based facilities, enough capital to establish and maintain the venture, extensive research from professional persons like we do here in KASC, identifying reliable sources of inputs and good quality feeds.
Suppose I am a farmer, I have already established my site, fish are there, am i good to go and warm my bed waiting for harvest time?
You are so amazing, unless you want weep at the end of the day, you need to take good care of the venture such that you do not go astray underway, do the sampling on a monthly basis and must have all records of your farm activities well captured in the record book, the above will help you reap the expected volumes of fish you need.
Then one must be sure of the state of the waters s/he will practice this from for example, for a pond, one needs;
A pond with a minimum of 600 cubic meters (20 meters by 30 meters).
This will accommodate 3000 fish.
Continuous flowing water (which allows regulation of oxygen and other parameters).
The optimum ranges of parameters should be:
Dissolved oxygen more than 5mg/l
PH range should be moderate 6.5-8.5,
Ammonia less than 0.2mg/l,
Nitrites more than 0.5mg/l
Nitrates more than 0.5mg/l
Carbon dioxide less than 0.25mg/l,
Ideal temperature between (28-32 degrees Celsius).
Welding dam liners in the Ofwono mesh/Courtesy Photo.
Kajjansi Aquaculture Services Centre laying the Ofwono mesh/Courtesy Photo.
Framework of Ofwono mesh tanks constructed by Kajjansi Aquaculture Services Centre in Idjwi Island, Democratic Republic of Congo/Courtesy Photo.
Ofwono mesh tanks ready for stocking with fish after installation of dam liners/Courtesy Photo.
Having captured that, a Uganda outside there would like to understand, are all types of fish suitable for aquaculture in Uganda?
It’s not true that every fish farmer knows all the proper feeds and inputs to enable them have a bumper harvest I guess, could you highlight on this?
Sure, most farmers do not know it all and that’s why we came up with the consultancy services to aid on such, I would like to let you know that feeds range from powder, crumbles to pellets of both sinking and floating feeds and these are given according to fish according to the type and average weight of fish in the culture facility.
In addition it should be administered in good formulation for specific growth stage of fish. The quality of feeds in relation to other parameters will dictate the feed conversion ratio (FCR).
Then some inputs include; fish feeds, seine nets, scoop nets, digital weighing scales, water testing kits, chest warders, life jackets for those with fish cages, graders and others.
Fish graders/Courtesy photo.
TDS pen for testing Total Dissolved Salts and Electro conductivity in water for fish farming/Courtesy Photo.
Thermometer/Courtesy Photo.
Multiparameter for testing Dissolved oxygen and parameters/Courtesy Photo.
Water testing kits supplied by Kajjansi Aquaculture Services Centre/Courtesy Photo.
As we conclude this interview, what are some of the key takeaways you would like to wrap up with?
I take this opportunity to inform government that this sub sector is expensive to manage therefore I would like to encourage it to support fish farmers by waiving taxes off imported feeds and aquaculture inputs because their prices is too high which has discouraged already farmers and scaring those interested to join the subsector.
Secondly, farmers should feel free to contact Kajjansi Aquaculture Services Centre (U) Ltd for any support they may need to carry out productive business and grow the sub sector to reach intended targets.
Aquaculture: Refers to the rearing of aquatic/water animals or the cultivation of aquatic/water plants food.
Fish: Refers to a limbless cold-blooded vertebrate animal with gills and fins living wholly in water.
Sub Sector: Refer to a sector that is part of a larger sector.