Socio-economics aspects of aquaculture, aquaculture product marketing, value addition, post-harvest reduction and aquaculture information management

Aquaculture notably affects people and societies far beyond obvious contributions to food security or any positive or negative environmental impacts. Globally, 18.7 million people currently work as fish farmers. The income earned by each of these employed individuals supports up to four dependents. In Uganda, the industry employees about 200,000 individuals, of whom 60% are directly employed on fish farms. Aquaculture is credited for increased training of women and greater participation in the workforce. Employment figures mirror trends of increasing production data over the past years as well. Fish farmers now represent one-third of all employees involved in fish production in Uganda. In 2000, 12.6 million fish farmers composed just one-quarter of that global total. Macroeconomic benefits derived from export earnings are also self-evident, but these impressive numbers do not tell the whole story. The research platform focuses on understanding the sociological and economic aspects of aquaculture and how the social interactions and processes affect economic activities in aquaculture such as fish marketing, value addition, and others. The aim is to ensure attainment of gainful benefits from aquaculture by the practitioners. While some socio-economics studies can stand alone in addressing specific aspects, most of the issues of concern cut across the entire aquaculture value chain from production to consumption. Hence, the research platform integrates the studies in natural science research with socio economic aspects to clarify the influence of social encounters on enhancing productivity and profitability. In addition, the research platform is responsible for understanding and addressing gender issues in achieving women’s empowerment, social advancement and help improve livelihoods at household, community and national level. The research platform also generates information for guiding aquaculture policy formulation, promotion and development. Through this platform, ARDC disseminates information on aquaculture production, business models, farmer adoption rates and impacts of generated technologies and innovations, and market dynamics for use by stakeholders to guide planning for improved performance of the sector. ARDC also works with Zonal Agricultural Development Institutes (ZARDIs) to demonstrate technologies for uptake by fish farmers and other stakeholders in the country.

Achievements

a) Guidelines on how to carry out fish farming as a business
b) Model enterprise budgets for Nile tilapia and African catfish production in ponds and cages using different feeding regimes

Constraint addressed:

i) Lack of information for guiding commercial investment in the aquaculture sub sector
ii) Value addition of aquaculture products (smoked fish using chor kiln, fish fingers, sausages, fried fish, sell of live fish as a premium product

iii) Development of a database for fish farms, fish farmers, fish feed producers to guide stakeholders in aquaculture planning for development

iv) Information on the role of Producer organizations, Contract farming schemes and Public-private partnerships in enhancing and sustaining commercial aquaculture

v) Information on strategies for improving extension service provision for fish farmers

Overall, the technologies and innovations listed above have contributed to increased aquaculture productivity and incomes of fish farming households, ensured household food and nutrition security, created on-farm and off farm employment opportunities, promoted manufacturing and value addition to agricultural products and generated income. However, the aquaculture sector has remained largely subsistence with 60% of the farmers practicing subsistence farming. Aquaculture productivity increased from 0.01 to 0.07kg/m3 for subsistence farmers and 0.5 to 1.28kg/m3 for commercial farmers (Namatovu et al 2017 and ARDC unpublished data).

In collaboration with AbiZARDI and KATI fish farm, ARDC developed several food products and preservation methods including nutrient-rich powders from small pelagic fish, angara (Alestesbaremoze) sausages, fillets, samosas, and quality dry-salted fish were developed and promoted to fight malnutrition. These products fetch considerably high income compared to unprocessed fish, for instance a 1 kg sausage pack is sold at UGX 24,000 compared to unprocessed fish that costs UGX 8,000.