Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury Ramathan Ggoobi has hailed Masheda Aquaculture Ltd for investing and helping position Uganda’s aquaculture industry for greater growth, job creation and export expansion.
According to Ggoobi, investments such as Masheda Aquaculture demonstrate the important role that the private sector can play in driving Uganda’s economic transformation.
He said the investment is closely aligned with the government’s Tenfold Growth Strategy, particularly under the agro-industrialisation pillar of the ATMS framework, which identifies agro-industrialisation, tourism, minerals and science and technology as key drivers of economic growth.
“We are celebrating a profound moment. Opening this facility marks a new chapter for Uganda’s aquaculture sector under one of the four pillars of our ATMS,” Ggoobi said.
He noted that aquaculture is strengthening Uganda’s fish value chain by transforming locally produced catfish into higher-value products capable of competing in regional and international markets.
Ggoobi pointed to markets including Kinshasa, Nairobi and London, saying the ability to process and add value to Ugandan fish will help expand the country’s export opportunities and generate more foreign exchange.
Government to Support Aquaculture Growth
Ggoobi reaffirmed the government’s commitment to working with private investors to unlock the potential of Uganda’s aquaculture industry.
He said government support will focus on addressing some of the major constraints affecting fish farmers and processors, including access to markets, technology and affordable production inputs.
“This is very important for us as a country, and the Ministry shall support this factory to scale up market access and the desired technology to achieve our dream of a USD 500 billion economy by 2040,” Ggoobi said.
He also highlighted government plans, through the Uganda Development Corporation (UDC), to support the construction of a dedicated fish-feed factory.
The initiative is intended to reduce Uganda’s dependence on imported fish feeds, which Ggoobi identified as one of the challenges increasing production costs for local fish farmers and processors.
By encouraging local production of fish feeds, government expects to reduce costs, improve farmers’ profitability and strengthen the competitiveness of Uganda’s aquaculture value chain.
Creating Jobs and Expanding Exports
The PSST also emphasised the employment potential of aquaculture and fish processing.
He said partnerships between government and private companies such as Masheda Foods can help Uganda create jobs while increasing the value of locally produced commodities.
The factory is expected to generate opportunities not only within its processing operations but also among fish farmers, logistics providers, traders and other businesses supplying the value chain.
Ggoobi stressed that Uganda’s ambition to achieve faster and more inclusive economic growth will require increased private-sector investment in productive sectors.
A Model for Uganda’s Aquaculture Future
As Uganda seeks to expand its aquaculture industry, Ggoobi’s commissioning of the Masheda Foods factory highlights the government’s growing emphasis on value addition, technology, market access and private-sector-led development.
For Ggoobi, supporting such investments is part of the broader effort to build a productive economy capable of creating jobs, increasing exports and improving household incomes.
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