Kabarole Fish Farmers Accuse Gov’t of Supplying Poor Quality Fingerlings

By Sylvia &Joseph

Communities surrounding the crater lakes in Kabarole district, have decried poor-quality fingerlings that were distributed by the government through Operation Wealth Creation – OWC and the NAADs secretariat under the AGRI-LED implementation program phase 1.

Kabarole  receives 30 cages

In October 2021, the government of Uganda distributed 30 fish cages among the sub-counties of Ruteete, Kichwamba, and Kasenda in Kabarole district.

The project was scheduled to benefit over 900 households, to enable communities near creator lakes to engage in fish farming. This was also seeking to boost the above people’s household incomes.

Reportedly, each sub-county received 10 fish cages, each containing 3500 fingerlings. The government through the district fisheries officer and the district NAADs coordinator assured farmers that the initiative was the only get way-out of poverty.

Farmers criticize the project

However, 11 months later, the very farmers have come out to condemn the initiative saying it is a total disaster that could not serve the intended purpose given enough effort.

Edward Magezi, a fish farmer doubling as a Buhari fish farmers group member in Kichwamba Sub County, notes that the fisheries officer and the district production officer guaranteed to them that the supplied fingerlings would in 8 months, be weighing a kilogram which would fetch a good sum of money on market basing on the demand.

To their shock, 11 months have elapsed and the fish are still weighing less than half a kilogram despite following all precaution measures as registered in the training during the launch of the project.

The chairperson  Saaka Basohi Tukwataniize group, Joseph Katuramu, complained that none of the fish weighs at least half a kilogram despite the many cages fixed in the lake, and having followed precautions on the feeding mode

According to Katuramu, the fish farmers’ efforts  to communicate with Mr. Brian James Baguma, the district fisheries officer to link them up with the fish supplier for an interaction on how to improve the fish to the market size were refuted.

Noah Atalyeba, the head of Rwihamba parish fish farmers in Rutete Sub County, says that fish farmers are crying foul in Ruteete Sub County following the supply of poor quality fish.

He explains that they initially had poor quality fish species in the creator lakes, which were small in size, hoping the species offered by the government was the answer to their outcry in vain.

Efforts to reach out to Brian Baguma, the Kabarole district fisheries officer, were in vain as he kept giving us false appointments.

About the AGRI-LED project
The Agriculture local economic development program, AGRI-LED is one of The Presidential Initiatives for Zonal Industrial Parks for Skills Development, Value Addition and Wealth creation.

This initiative was born out of the regional tours undertaken by the President in May 2019 with focus on skills development and capacity building in mainly commercial Agriculture, Manufacturing, ICT and services.