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Fish earnings up to $166 million
By Macrines Nyapendi

Uganda earned $166.8m from 4,598.8 metric tonnes of fish exported during April and March, a great addition to the sector's revenue despite stiff competition at the end markets.

Fisheries commissioner Dick Nyeko said there was an appreciation of 40% in tonnage and 23% in value in March and a shortfall of 10% in quantity and 0.2% in earnings compared to February.
The fish market is very volatile and the prices erratic. Uganda cannot compete favorably with other countries because of the high freight charges, Nyeko said.

Compared to March 2004, the April tonnage went down by 3.5%, while the value rose by 2.2%. In comparison to the same month last year, April had an 18% and 22% increment in quantity and revenue respectively.

A total of 2,339.74 metric tonnes of fish were exported in March to the European Union and non-European countries fetching $8.3m. An additional $8.4m was earned from 2,259.06 tonnes in April.

Immature fishing and smuggling to the neighbouring countries have been the major problem of the fisheries department.
The country loses an estimated $90m (about sh180b) annually in illegal unrecorded and unregulated trade.
Kenya has only 6% of Lake Victoria but it has put up 16 processing plants and earns $200m per annum. We clap loudly on recording merely $80m when we own 43% of the lake, FXM Kizza, the assistant commissioner, said.

Fish worth $30m is smuggled through Katuna, Mpondwe and Ishasha to the DR Congo, Rwanda, Burundi and Congo Brazzaville every year.
Kizza said an estimated $60m is lost through Malaba and Busia to Kenya annually.

Published on: Friday, 4th June, 2004

Retrieved from: The New Vision (a daily Newspaper)
www.newvision.co.ug
Friday June 4, 2004.

Uganda's milk output has increased from 4.5 million litres in 1995 to 1.3 billion litres to-date. Ugandans are also consuming more milk than before from a previous 18 litres to 40 litres per capita.
"I am grateful that there has been a tremendous increase in milk production and consumption since the Land O' Lakes campaigns started in 1995 to-date," said Mr Richard Bakoja, said former co-ordinator of Land O' Lakes, a private sector dairy development project.
Bakoja, told The Monitor recently that more effort is needed to encourage more people to take milk especially in schools and hospitals.
"Producing milk for local consumption is needed but people should put in mind the issue of value addition for commercial purposes," he said.
The World Health Organisation recommends 200 litres per capita intake per annum. Ms Gorette Musasizi who owns milk cooler in Bwaise trading centre said:
"These days I have many suppliers compared to some five-six years ago when in a day I would even fail to get what to sell. We used to line up for milk and some people would end up not getting." Bwaise has more than 100 milk sellers with coolers but still they get surplus. Musasizi attributes increased consumption to radio adverts and the inclusion of milk on school diet.
"Many people are now involved in the dairy sector. NGOs [Non government Organisations] loan them the exotic breeds which produce about 20-30 litre of milk every day I do not have to line up for milk as it used to be a few years ago," said another milk trader, Mr Samuel Busingye.
Despite the high output most of the milk consumed is unprocessed and very little is exported. According to the Land O' Lake records for 2001 Uganda exported milk products worth three million dollars only.

© 2004 The Monitor Publications

Retrieved from:The Daily Monitor (A daily in Uganda)
www.monitor.co.ug
Monday June 7, 2004

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