The Government of Rwanda has leased management and operationalisation of Urban Fisheries Products Promotion Centre, a move officials say will ensure proper handling of fish produce, market access and, most importantly, address the issue of lack of enough nutritious fish feeds, which has been a major concern for the sector.
Under the 10-year lease deal, AQUAHORT Export Ltd/AEL, will be expected to put in place a fish feed factory with capacity to produce five tonnes of fish feeds per day.
Speaking to Saturday Times, Theophile Nyandwi, president of Federation of Fishery Cooperatives in Rwanda (FEFICOORWA), said getting fish feeds is a big challenge in the country.
Fish farmers have been importing feeds from Israel and Uganda, with a kilogramme costing about $1.5 (about Rwf1,000).
Cage fishing is more beneficial, especially around Lake Kivu whose water, according to Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB) and fishery experts, does not have enough natural nutrients for fish growth.
Nyandwi said the initial trials they made indicate that fish from cage weighs 1.5 kilogramme after six months, while about 10 fish would weigh a kilogramme in the same period.
But, he noted, lack of animal feeds has discouraged farmers to embrace the practice.
“That is why we suggested that RAB and the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources look for ways to avail a factory so that farmers get fish feed easily. With a factory in place in the country, farmers can get feeds at a half of that ($1.5) cost a kilogramme,” Nyandwi said.
2016 AllAfrica