Bukyeire giving feeds to the fish at the farm in Luwero Town Council. Photos by Arnest Tumwesige
By Arnest Tumwesige
LUWERO: Luwero District’s aquaculture sector is steadily presenting business opportunities, supported by increasing production volumes, expanding farm infrastructure, and access to regional markets.
Although tilapia (Engege) remains part of the production mix, African catfish (Emale) is expected to dominate due to its strong market demand. Key market outlets include Busega in Kampala, while intermediaries are projected to continue supplying the bulk of produce to Goma in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, underscoring the region’s export potential.
At a fish farm in Namayamba Village, Nsavu Parish, Makulubita Sub-county owned by former Ambassador Elly Kafeero demonstrates a more structured market linkage model. The farm specializes in African catfish, supported by a hatchery system with eight tanks fitted with improvised temperature regulators.
When GLNA visited the farm, four tanks were active with about 30,000 fish seeds, typically ready to be at two months old with each being sold at UGX 200 to 300.
Market consolidation is evident at this facility, where single buyers occasionally purchase entire stock, rear it for an additional month, and resell at approximately UGX 500 per seed. Beyond the hatchery, the farm operates 12 ponds, including four nursery ponds with 85,000 seeds and eight grow-out ponds holding 20,000 mature fish.
According to farm manager Wilfred Aheebwa, specialization in African catfish is expected to remain commercially advantageous due to its strong market demand and relatively lower feed costs compared to tilapia.
In July 2025, the manager said the farm realized sales worth UGX 7 million from fish exports, all destined for the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Similar trends are observed at Grace Fish Farm in Ndejje Kyondo village, Ndejje Kabuye Parish, Ndejje Town Council. Established nine years ago on a two-acre site, the farm has progressively expanded due to sustained profitability.
Currently operating five ponds with a stock of about 9,000 fish, Milk Atukunda a Co-director said the enterprise recently sold three tons to Congolese middlemen, reinforcing the role of cross-border trade in driving demand.
Rare case of lack of market
At Nkonge Integrated Fish Farm in Nkonge village, Bukeeka parish, Katikamu Town Council, operations are expected to scale further. The farm currently operates 12 ponds, 10 of which are active, stocking over 16,300 tilapia fish.
Peter Bukyeire the Manager said in addition, the farm runs a hatchery for tilapia seeds. Harvesting of mature fish is done at about six months, yielding between two to three tons per cycle, primarily sold in Busega.
However, accessing market for the type of fish seeds they have has remained a challenge over time. At the time of filing this story, the farm manager said they had approximately 50,000 one-month-old fingerlings ready for sale but faced limited buyer uptake. As such, the over delay to buy off the seeds increases operational costs related to maintenance.
The districts bigger scope
The existing demand of fish within the district is surpassing the local supply and thus supplies fromthe district continue to receive fish through the Kampala-Busega route from Lake Victoria and via Nakasongola from Lake Kyoga, with weekly inflows estimated at 5 to 7 tons. This steady supply chain is projected to sustain trade while complementing local production.
Simon Peter Sserwambala, the Senior Fisheries Officer for Luwero District, indicates the district’s aquaculture system is predominantly land-based, relying on fish ponds, with a gradual shift toward concrete fish tanks and other modern systems.
By 2026, Luwero approximately has 200 active fish farmers. On average, each farmer operates about three ponds, translating into an estimated 600 to 700 fish ponds across roughly 30 acres.
Due to technological advancements in pond construction, there has been an increase in the size of the ponds recently unlike earlier years when excavation relied on manual tools such as hoes.
Production trends since 2008 point to steady growth of the sector from 8 tons with output rising to 47 tons by 2024 and is now being projected to exceed 50 tons in 2026. “With current estimates standing at approximately 53 to 54 tons, African catfish accounts for about 85 percent of total production”, the Officer told GLNA.
Hiccups in the sector
Despite this growth trajectory, several constraints are likely to affect sector expansion. Farmers are facing limited access to quality fish seed, with some hatchery-sourced stock resulting in low yields, wrong species, or stunted growth.
Sserwambala said additional challenges include inadequate farm security, limited access to skilled labour often lost after training and shortages of essential farm management equipment.
To address some of these gaps, the district has initiated a centralized support system, procuring shared equipment such as fish sampling and harvesting nets, with plans underway to acquire water quality management kits. These interventions are expected to improve farm-level monitoring and productivity.
However, institutional capacity remains constrained with the district currently operating with only three fisheries officers and two assistants serving 18 sub-counties and town councils. Plans are also in place to recruit an additional seven staff to strengthen extension services and sector oversight.
In an interaction with this publication, farmers reported high expenses associated with commercial feeds, particularly for tilapia. For African catfish, some farmers have adopted alternative feeding strategies, including the use of chicken offal, which must be provided fresh to maintain its nutritional value.
