Prospects of Cage Fish Farming in South Western Uganda
Loading...
Date
2018
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Abstract
The study was conducted to identify the constraints and potential opportunities of cage fish farming in South
Western Highland Agro-Ecological Zone (SWHAEZ). 82 questionnaires were administered to six respondent groups (current
cage fish farmers, potential adopters of cage aquaculture, farmers who have abandoned cage aquaculture, regional and district
fisheries officers, and financial institutions) to obtain insight into the challenges in cage fish farming as well as opportunities
that can be exploited to promote cage fish farming. People in relevant government institutions were also interviewed. Primary
results show that lack of funds and lack of government extension services are key challenges in cage fish farming. Lack of
funds incapacitates farmers’ failure to get aquaculture inputs like feed. It also accounted for the inability of potential adopters
and farmers who have abandoned cage aquaculture to start or continue cage aquaculture respectively. Major opportunities
identified include; availability of the market for the fish, willingness of the financial institutions to offer loans at a cheaper
interest rate, availability of the extension services at the sub-county level. Our preliminary recommendations is that the
government can also provide subsidies to most expensive inputs like feeds, seine-net, water testing kits and construction costs
for aquaculture. There is need to empower and build capacity for the extension workers through improved good management
practices like feed and feeding and record keeping.
Description
Keywords
Tilapia, Cage Aquaculture, Adoption Constraints, Finance, Extension, SWHAEZ
Citation
Gerald Kwikiriza, Tony Mwesigwa, Alex Barekye, Ivan Abaho, Ambrose Rwaheru Aheisibwe, Rose Mwesige. Prospects of Cage Fish Farming in South Western Uganda. Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Vol. 7, No. 2, 2018, pp. 52-57. doi: 10.11648/j.aff.20180702.12