Dear stakeholders, I take this opportunity to welcome you to the Aquaculture Research & Development Center(ARDC) website. Here you will get an opportunity to engage with the ARDC community and know the various activities that take place at the Center, which is home to the Aquaculture and Fish Biosciences programme. The Center is located in Kajjansi, 20 km Kampala – Entebbe road, 1.5km off the main road and sits on more than 45 acres of land. Established in 1953 as a Fish Experimental Station, ARDC has today transformed into a Center for aquaculture research in Uganda, with a wide range of research disciplines.
These include Fish Genetic Improvement and Seed Multiplication, Production Systems Design and Management, Fish Feed Development and Management, plus Aquatic Animal Health and Biosaftey Management. Through these disciplines, the Center provides technologies geared towards improving the aquaculture sector. It also providestechnical advice and works with different partners including universities, research institutes, sister organizations, commercial farmers, farmer groups and communities, fish feed producers, fish buyers, government lead agencies, policy makers and other private aquaculture specialists/experts.
The Center operates with in the National Agricultural Research Organization’s (NARO)management structures guided by NARO’s strategic plan. With a dedicated and competent human resource,ARDC’s focus is to fulfill NaFIRRI’s mandate. The Center is equipped with research facilities such as laboratories, ponds, outdoor concrete tanks and indoor hatcheries. It also has hostels,training rooms and a library, which makes it a convenient training hub in best aquaculture management practices.
The Center undertakes research on different fish species including Tilapia, African catfish Clariusgaripinus, Mirror carps Cyprinuscarpio,Babrusalitinulis, Lung fish Protopterusaethiopicus, Nile perch Latesniloticus, Bagrusdocmac and live feed with emphasis on Moina, Copepods and Artemia. Additionally, ARDC has a feed mill with capacity to produce two (2) tons of sinking feed pellets per hour. This, with fish seed production facilities that have capacity to produce more than seventeen million fry per production cycle; ARDC is a one stop center for two of the most important aquaculture inputs (feed and seed). Over the years, ARDC has developed different technologies, skilled many farmers and technicians in different aquaculture practices, supplied feed and seed to several farmers there by contributing immensely to Uganda’s fish production. Through interactions with different development partners and with support from Government of Uganda, ARDC is destined to grow into a Center of Excellency for aquaculture research in East Africa.
You are please welcome to ARDC and enjoy your interaction with our website.
Namulawa Victoria Tibenda (PhD) – Principal Research Officer, In-coming Programe Leader Aquaculture and Fish Biosciences programme, In-Charge Aquaculture Research & Development Center