KAMPALA—Fisheries & Aquaculture stakeholders in Central Uganda have set up a cooperative union in a bid to save over US$171 million [ about Shs 615.6bln ] in potential business in aquaculture, fisheries, and bolster fish production.
The new Central Region Aquaculture Cooperative Union (CRACU) is chaired by Sir Simon Muyanga Lutaaya, a veteran journalist and parliamentary aspirant for Bulamogi County seat in Kaliro district.
Records at the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) and National Fisheries Resources Research Institute (NAFIRRI’s) Kajjansi Aquaculture Research Development Center, show that delegates from the central region districts elected Muyanga as he polled 38 votes against Solomon Mukasa Nsubuga’s 15 votes to lead the 7-member Executive Committee for CRACU.
“The elected committee will now join the other regional unions to form the National Aquaculture Cooperative Union (NACU). The EU is co-funding the Government of Uganda efforts to promote commercial fish farming and trading as demand for Uganda’s fish on the international market rises,” Muyanga further told theCooperator in a recent brief interview.
He said that each region in the country now has a regional union with an executive of nine members. “Each region will in July 2022, send 5 delegates from among its executives to elect an apex [national] union for the whole country. This is part of the efforts to promote fish farming and meet a global market demand of at least one million metric tons from Uganda alone. It’s a US$ 171m potential for Uganda.”
Muyanga will lead the union’s efforts to negotiate favourable terms with government to promote fish farming in the region, as one of the immediate tasks. Muyanga’s executive elected on March 31, 2022, includes: Masaka’s Godfrey Galiwango Secretary, Alice Mbasalaki [Kalangala] as Treasurer, Mukono’s Joseph Kakande, Mpigi’s Esther Ssegawa among others.
Muyanga was first elected Chairman of Wakiso-Kasangati Aquaculture Cooperatives Union. He is a prominent fish farmer in Wakiso district.
The European Union (EU) delegation in Uganda has been facilitating a process to form Fisheries and Aquaculture cooperatives to counter the gap in the supply of fish by capture fisheries (harvesting wild fisheries in lakes and other water bodies, including fish ponds).
Over a period of three years, stakeholders have created 102 producer organisations [Cooperative societies] in six regions of Uganda: Eastern, Central, Rwenzori, South-West, West Nile and Northern.
The agriculture ministry expects the new leadership to promote farmer inclusion, education, training and information to promote fish farming. Local and international fish demand creates a big market to have supplies lead as country’s foreign exchange earner.
President Museveni has in recent times emphasised fish farming as the viable and profitable alternative activity in wetlands. He has given as a case study saying a farmer can earn up to Shs 70mln in a single fish pond annually. One of such occasions is at the launch of the Parish Development Model—a new anti-poverty national strategy and grassroots-based economic productivity.
The new development means stakeholders in the fragile sub-sector have awakened to address the challenge of possible stagnation or collapse of their business. The new cooperative should help them address the issue of good governance.
https://thecooperator.news/fishing-community-on-lake-albert-cries-for-help/
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