FORT PORTAL – Members of Fort Portal North Division Fisheries Omwooga SACCO, have asked government to support them with a fish hatchery to be able to produce their own fingerlings.
The SACCO chairperson, Yosam Kato told this reporter recently that the quality of the fingerlings they buy for farming is poor, adding that they source the fingerlings from distant districts, making the business costly.
“As of now, we buy fingerlings from Bushenyi district and Kajansi town council in Wakiso district. This is costly in terms of transportation and yet the quality of the fingerlings is poor. We hope if we get our own hatchery, we will be able to produce quality fingerlings,” Kato said.
Kato said in 2020, the National Agricultural Advisory Services [NAADS] supplied them with 4,000 fingerlings but yielded low yields as they were of poor quality.
“When you harvest small fish, buyers also give you little money and you end up making losses. “On average, we spend more than Shs 7 million annually and this is when we have used cheap feeds,” he said.
He said the costs for the feeds can only be cut if government gives the SACCO some money to establish their own fish feeds facility.
He said they used Shs 30mln seed capital to buy fingerlings which yielded Shs 60mln at harvesting. Part of the profit, he said, was put on the SACCO’s account for members to borrow.
“Our members who took loans have been paying back and we are yet to receive an additional seed capital of Shs 20mln because we were selected among the best five performing Emyooga SACCOs to receive additional money,” he said.
Kato said every year, their SACCO gets more than Shs 60mln from the fish business.
Patrick Kyankaaga, a member of Mugoma Fish Farmers and Horticulture Association said members have achieved a lot since they joined Omwooga SACCO a few years ago, despite a few challenges.
“Through the SACCO, our association has helped me to increase my household income which I am using to educate my children,” he said.
Fort Portal North Division Fisheries Omwooga SACCO consists of Mugoma Fish Farmers and Horticulture Association, Karambi Fish Farmers Association, Busoma-Kitarasa Ward Fisheries Association, and Bukuku Fisheries Association.
This SACCO is one of the 18 SACCOs in Fort Portal City that received Shs 30mln each as seed capital under Emyooga Programme, a presidential initiative on job and wealth creation being implemented at the constituency level.
https://thecooperator.news/fort-portal-city-emyooga-saccos-to-receive-more-seed-capital/
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