MUKONO. Stakeholders and partners in the fisheries sector have asked the disadvantaged Ugandans , including women and children, to embrace the process of adding value to Mukene,[silver fish], to boost their livelihoods.
This was during the launch of NutriFishPLUS in Mukono on Friday.
The NutriFishPlus project is a collaborative effort between Makerere University, Kati farms, Nutreal Research Centre [IDRC] and Austria Center for International Agricultural Research [ACIAR] through the Cultivate Africa’s Future [CultiAFPLUS] initiative.
The general objective of the project is to enhance the incomes and livelihoods of fishing communities in Uganda. The project will achieve this through sustainable improvements in fish processing, market access, economic strengthening resilience of fishing communities through a diversified income stream.
The district fisheries officer, Buikwe, James Katali, said Mukene is becoming scarce due to high demand in the country.
“ People are now taking Mukene as a food for the rich, as it is rich in nutrients and a source of wealth. We have decided to create groups of women and children so that they can meet the market demand, this project aims to bridge the gap in that demand,”
The demand comes with good fish quality, increasing the market value internationally. Mukene is exported to Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and South Sudan, and we shall also export it to other countries in the world.
Mukene is almost at the same price as meat; a kilo is about 15,000, almost like for a kilo of meat, it is no longer a food for the poor.
Prof. Winston Tumps Ireeta, the deputy vice chancellor, Finance and Administration, said Mukene remains a good source of nutrients, proteins and since Uganda has the fastest growing population and therefore needs more food. The NutriFishPlus project hopes to yield results.
The NutriFishPLUS Project activities are well aligned with Makerere University’s research agenda, which, among others. Including food, nutrition and value addition, sustainable natural resources utilization, socio-economic empowerment of communities and cross-cutting issues of Gender, and appropriate technological developments.
Dr. Jackson Efitre, project coordinator, said the project is going to be implemented in three lake regions, including Lake Victoria [Katosi, Kikondo and Kiyindi landing sites], Lake Albert and Lake Kyoga. This is for scaling up Fish Processing technologies, Marketing and women empowerment for improved incomes and livelihoods of fishing communities in Uganda.
‘‘We are focusing on fish processors, especially women, children and youth dealing in Silver fish [ Mukene], who will mostly benefit through improved nutrition, and processors will benefit in terms of improved income.’’.
He said they are going to help train women in better processing of these fish, better packaging, branding, and also help in getting their product certified by UNBS to get market.