Aquaculture for all

Ugandan Fish Export Earnings Rising

KAMPALA - Fish export earnings have risen from $145m (sh253.7b) in 2005 to $150m (sh262.5b) in the year 2006, just as the commissioner for fisheries had predicted.

Dick Nyeko explained: “We have just been inspected by the European Union. Business is still growing since we are assured of the market. We shall earn about $150m this year.”

Nyeko said the earnings exclude what is got from neighbouring countries. He said the $4.5m (sh8b) grant to the Uganda-Egypt Aquatic Weed Control Project for 2007-2009 would improve fish handling at landing sites.

“The grant is supposed to be used for removing the water hyacinth. It will result into high quality handling of fish as more landing sites are going to be rehabilitated,” Nyeko told journalists at the project’s headquarters in Nakasero, Kampala.

“Egypt accounts for 99% of fish farming in Africa. That is why we want to strengthen cooperation, learn from them and later compete with them,” he said. “Fish farming in Uganda contributes 18% to the agriculture sector. The figure will rise due to the increased rains,” he said.

Source: New Vision

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