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NYEN has identified fish farming as an opportunity to increase household incomes and commercial activities. Additionally, fish farming complements poultry farming which is already being promoted in Bulondo. Chicken droppings can be used in the fertilization of the fish ponds and enhance the algal growth that serves as fish food. Meanwhile, stunted fish (Mukene) harvested from ponds is an important source in the formulation of poultry feed, thus easing the ever rising cost of feed.   Feeding the fish Fish ponds Fish farming projects are characterized by highly prohibitive establishment costs and by restrictive ecological requirements (primarily access to wetlands for excavation of ponds). As a result, few associations venture in fish farming. In Sentema County where Wakiso District resides, no fish farming ponds have been excavated. For those who have tried in the district, their ponds are unstocked and they have limited technical guidance. Therefore, most farmers’ groups and associations do not select fish farming as a project during participatory planning. Nevertheless, fish farming provides money at a farm-level, creates employment opportunities especially for the informal workers and vendors, and can provide youth with aqua-farming skills. One major challenge realized in the fish enterprise, however, is managing not only the quantity of fish goods demanded and supplied but also the quality and timing of supply of these products. A strategy for countering this challenge includes improving the quality of fish through good management practices such as optimal stocking rates per pond and provision of adequate and good quality feed pellets. Increasing the number of fish ponds in a given farmstead and practicing staggered stocking patterns can ensure a regular supply of fish products throughout the year. In Sentema County, NYEN should be assisted to develop a fish farm that could serve as a model for others in the county such that they could come learn fish-farming skills at our ponds before creating their own fish farms. Our fish farm would have a potential of generating more than 25 million shillings per year. Assuming 20 farmers take up the fish farming business in the next 2 – 3 years and that each farmer would be earning about 25 million shillings per year, then total cash inflow in Sentema County alone per year following the initial organization intervention (for the core pond) would be 500 million shillings. Problem Statement Fish farming has not been fully explored as a strategy to reduce poverty levels despite its potential to improve livelihoods in rural communities. Low productivity, prohibitive establishment costs, high farm-level losses and inefficient marketing often pose a problem. The low level of productivity results from lack of appropriate production knowledge and skills, suboptimal stocking and/or overstocking, poor fish population control methods and inadequate feeding due to costly feeds. Complications arise from high capital requirements for establishing a fish farm, especially for excavation, stocking of fingerlings and installation of protective chain link. The losses at farm-level arise from predators such as snakes, monitor lizards and birds, and from improper harvesting and post-harvest techniques. Inefficient marketing results from a lack of farmers’ ability to integrate production and marketing activities. It is therefore imperative that youth and farmers are supported to initiate fish farming using the NYEN fish farm approach through provision of startup fingerlings and other technical inputs for developing business plans. Objectives 1. To promote fish-farming in Sentema County and contribute to increased household incomes 2. To facilitate the development of NYEN’s fish farm project into a model fish farm project in Wakiso district | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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