The National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) has provided beneficiary farmers in 22 district local governments with 2,243,552 fish fingerings and 58,706 kg of start-up foods in an effort to raise household income, boost fish output, and increase export revenues in Uganda.

The fingerings and feeds are part of the livestock materials that NAADS has distributed to farmers across the country this year.

According to Dr. Thomas Nsemerirwe, the Livestock Development Officer at NAADS, out of the fingerlings distributed, 1,397,066 were tilapia, while 846,486 were catfish.

He said that the fingerings can stock up to 500 fish ponds at an average of 4,000 fingerings per standard fish pond of 20 meters by 50 meters.

Additionally, Nsemerirwe said that the 22 beneficiaries were selected based on their readiness and preparedness to take care of the fish fingerings.

“We received requests from the beneficiaries who expressed interest in fish farming, and during our assessment exercise, the 22 were found ready with well-established fish ponds and the capacity to feed the fish to maturity,” Nsemerirwe said.

The beneficiary local governments include Masaka district, Masaka city, Nebbi, Arua, Kanungu, Ibanda, Bushenyi, Ntungamo, Bugiri, Budaka, Lwengo, Luwero, Buikwe, Kampala, Masindi, Kabarole, Kasese, Serere, Manafwa, Katakwi, and Kyankwanzi.

Since 2014, over 20 million fish fingerlings and 700,000 kg of start-up fish feed have been provided by NAADS to fish farmers nationwide in an effort to increase fish export revenues, enhance nutrition, raise farmer incomes, and increase fish productivity. Uganda produces up to 15,000 metric tons of fish from aquaculture.