Residents and leaders of Njeru Municipality in Buikwe district have welcomed a new mega factory that will be producing fish feeds for the local market and export.
The aquafeed plant will be the first of its kind in Uganda, producing at capacity, about 50,000 metric tons of fish feed per year for the East African market.
Njeru Municipality Mayor Yasin Kyazze, said he and the locals were proud to have the factory in their area, and looked forward to bolstering their fish farming ventures.
“In Njeru, we are one of the fish farming municipalities and many of our farmers have been having challenges with expensive and where to purchase them. With this new plant, I know that there is going to be a reduction in the cost. My people will now concentrate on cage farming and abandon illegal fishing on the lake,” said the Mayor.
Kyazze was also excited about the many job opportunities that the factory is bringing to the municipality.
The plant is being built by the Royal De Heus, the parent company to Koudijs which is one of the leading livestock feed providers in Uganda.
The company executives while speaking at the groundbreaking event on Tuesday, June 27, said the plant is expected to produce up to 10,000 jobs at capacity.
The state-of-the-art factory, they said, should be operational towards the second half of next year.
“The plant itself will bring employment, but its real impact on employment will be with fish farmers and with its suppliers; the farmers,” said Tjeenk Willink, the General Manager De Heus Uganda.
“The launch of this plant will be a positive impulse for aquaculture in Uganda and surrounding countries. The industry has shown promising growth in recent years, but needs affordable, reliable quality feeds to further develop. Feeds are currently imported. A local factory of De Heus will produce feed with a shorter, flexible supply chain,” he said.
Gerald Kasozi, the village chairperson also expressed optimism that the plant will greatly transform the village and the rest of Njeru Municipality. He assured the company of maximum cooperation to ensure seamless operations.