Kyegegwa District produced 12.64 tonnes of fish in 2025, with officials citing limited skilled labour, unreliable water supplies and inadequate access to quality feeds among the constraints holding back commercial aquaculture.
Fish farming in Kyegegwa District remains largely at subsistence level, with limited access to skilled labour, quality feeds and reliable water supplies constraining commercial production despite 306 registered farmers and 494 fish ponds.
The district’s Fisheries Officer, Lucas Abesiga, said these challenges continued to limit farmers’ ability to expand production and operate commercially.
Abesiga said Kyegegwa produced 12.64 tonnes of fish in 2025, a figure he described as low compared with the number of registered farmers and fish ponds.
He said addressing the constraints affecting the sector would be critical to increasing output and helping farmers transition from subsistence to commercial aquaculture.
The concerns emerged on October 13, 2026, during the launch of Silver Hutch Uganda Limited in Nkanja Sub-county, Kyegegwa District, by State Minister for Fisheries Robert Migadde Ndugwa.
The company, which began operations in March 2024, provides fish farming services, fingerlings and other agricultural support to farmers interested in aquaculture.
Speaking at the launch, Migadde urged farmers to embrace fish farming as an alternative source of income, saying it could improve household earnings when properly managed.
“Farmers should consider fish farming as a viable economic activity because it can generate income within a relatively short period when properly managed,” Migadde said.
The minister pledged government support for the company, provided it complies with the required fish farming standards and procedures to ensure farmers access quality fingerlings.
He said maintaining appropriate standards would be essential to supporting farmers and promoting sustainable fish production.
Silver Hutch Uganda Limited chief executive officer Silver Tumuhimbise called on the government to provide additional support to strengthen the company’s operations and expand fish production.
Tumuhimbise asked the government to help the company secure land, acquire a fish-feed pellet processing machine and obtain other resources needed to increase its production capacity.
She said the company also intended to create employment opportunities for refugees and members of host communities, contributing to economic activity in rural areas.
The district’s low output highlights the challenges facing efforts to develop aquaculture into a more commercially viable agricultural activity.
Improved access to quality fingerlings, reliable water supplies, skilled labour and affordable fish feeds could help farmers increase production and overcome some of the barriers to expanding their operations.
With 306 registered fish farmers and 494 fish ponds, Kyegegwa has an existing foundation for aquaculture development. However, increasing output will require addressing the constraints identified by district officials and ensuring farmers can access the resources needed to sustain commercial production.