Fish Farming Turns Ponds into Livelihoods in Ntungamo

What the report says

Fish farming is gaining momentum in Ntungamo, where farmers are using ponds to earn income, create jobs and improve access to protein. According to Nile Post, the district’s limited natural fish supply, with only two crater lakes, has pushed local authorities to encourage aquaculture as an alternative source of fish for communities.

The article says Ntungamo District supports more than 15 farmers each year with fingerlings and feed, and has also stocked fish seed in dams across the area. District fisheries officer Amos Besigye said the number of people entering the sector is rising as officials work to increase local fish production. He also linked aquaculture to household nutrition, saying fish can help address malnutrition among children.

At Sam Muchunguzi’s farm in Ntungamo Municipality, harvesting is underway from ponds stocked with Nile tilapia and catfish. Muchunguzi, who is also the Ntungamo District chairman, said fish farming gives households a way to diversify beyond coffee and banana growing. Residents working at fish ponds told the newspaper that the enterprise is providing both wages and food, while local buyers are making it easier to sell fish in the community.

The report notes that high and unreliable imported feed prices remain a major challenge. Besigye called for central government support to establish local fish-feed factories, which he said could lower production costs and improve access to quality feed. In a broader sense, the story reflects how aquaculture is increasingly being used in parts of Uganda to supplement natural fisheries and support rural incomes.