By Alex Byakatonda
Kabale District local government has today distributed 5,000 mono-sex
Nile Tilapia fingerings for farming to different farmers in the
district.
According to the Kabale District fisheries officer in charge of
Aquaculture, Brighton Naturinda, the fish fingerings were received
from the government under the Agricultural extension program.
He added that under the program, the district intends to identify
model fish farmers, with whom the district will partner and extend
fish farming to the entire district.
Naturinda tasked the beneficiaries to properly manage and raise the
fish fingerings by clearing all floating vegetation on their ponds to
avoid frogs bleeding within the ponds since they can predate on the
fish. He also emphasized to the farmers to ensure that the fish
fingerings are properly fed if they are to mature and benefit them.
The Kabale District Production and Marketing officer, Bedda Mwebesa,
implored the beneficiary farmers to ensure proper record keeping on
their fish farm, so as to gauge if the farming business has been
profitable.
The Kabale District LC5 Vice Chairperson, Mirira Akankwasa Tugume, who
represented the District LC5 Chairperson, Nelson Nshangabasheija at
the handover of the fish fingerings commended government for such
programs, which she said are aimed at improving people’s household
incomes.
Akankwasa also asked the beneficiaries to be role models to other
farmers, since the fish farming is one of the agricultural enterprises
being targeted under the Parish Development Program.
The former Kabale District speaker and a resident of Nyombe in
Kahungye sub-county, Rev Canon Jack Katarishangwa, who represented the
beneficiaries, commended the government for the donation, which is
intended at boosting their household incomes. He also implored his
colleague farmers to seek expert knowledge and services from extension
officers, if fish farming is to profit them.
