• De Heus invests $25M in Ugandan fish feed plant, 100K tonnes/year capacity.
• Local production aims to boost aquaculture, reduce import reliance.
• Uganda's aquaculture grew 20.29% annually (2005-2022), reaching 101K tonnes.

De Heus Animal Nutrition, the Dutch animal feed giant, has officially commissioned a new fish feed manufacturing unit in Njeru, Buikwe District, Uganda. The facility, which began operations on September 2, represents a significant $25 million investment and boasts an annual production capacity of 100,000 tonnes of fish feed.

This strategic investment positions De Heus to capitalize on Uganda’s burgeoning aquaculture market, which has historically relied almost entirely on imports for its fish feed requirements. Co de Heus, CEO of the Dutch group, stated that the company’s investments consistently target growing demand and the necessity of injecting capital and expertise into developing markets.

The inauguration of the plant was met with enthusiasm from Ugandan officials. Hellen Adoa, Uganda’s Minister of Fisheries, highlighted the critical need for local fish feed production. “The biggest challenge we had in the Ministry of Agriculture was the issue of fish feed. It has been a big problem. Our fish did not have feed, apart from what we had to import. But now, we are manufacturing it here,” Adoa remarked during the commissioning ceremony.

The establishment of large-scale local fish feed production is expected to improve accessibility for fish farmers and further accelerate the growth trajectory observed in Uganda’s aquaculture sector over the past two decades. Data compiled by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) indicates that Uganda’s aquaculture production surged by an average of 20.29% annually, from 11,000 tonnes in 2005 to 101,000 tonnes in 2022.

Despite this impressive growth, the FAO notes that aquaculture still contributes less than 25% of the country’s total fish catches, which reached nearly 440,000 tonnes in 2022.

This article was initially published in French by Stéphanas Assocle

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum