The launch of Masheda Foods’ new catfish processing factory has reignited calls for government to urgently establish a local fish feed plant to address one of Uganda’s aquaculture sector’s biggest bottlenecks.
Masheda Foods, a leading enterprise in aquaculture, officially opened its 25-acre state-of-the-art catfish processing facility in Buyala, Mpigi District, positioning Uganda for regional and international exports of processed fish.
The company is already supplying markets in the UK, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. 
But even as the celebrations unfolded, industry leaders and farmers emphasized that fish feed scarcity and high costs could undermine the sector’s potential.
Masheda Foods Managing Director, Marvin Lwasa, said the factory would only thrive if government intervenes on the feed challenge.
“The launch is significant, but the real issue holding back aquaculture is feeds. Farmers back out of the business because they don’t see income when selling raw fish, yet even those who try face expensive imported feeds that don’t meet local conditions,” Lwasa explained.
“If government helps us put up a factory for affordable, quality fish feeds, we will have thousands more farmers joining the industry and creating jobs.”
He noted that imported feeds from Egypt and the Netherlands are costly, inconsistent in nutritional value, and unsuitable for Uganda’s climate.
“These feeds are manufactured under different weather conditions. When we use them here, the results fall short, yet they are very expensive. Without good feeds, catfish eat each other,” he cautioned.
Jonnathan Kiiza Ddembe the Uganda Catfish Farmer Federation chairman backed the call to have a fish feeds factory in Uganda.
“You can make the ponds and buy fingerlings, but feeding is the killer. Catfish eat every day, and if you don’t feed them, they eat themselves. Imported feeds are beyond our means. If government puts up a feed factory, fish farming will explode,” said a farmer from Mubende District, part of a 15-member association targeting Masheda’s new plant.
At the factory launch, Finance Ministry Permanent Secretary Ramathan Ggoobi, who officiated as chief guest, hailed Masheda’s investment as an example of Uganda’s economic transformation through value addition.
“Government’s target is to make Uganda a $500 billion economy in 15 years. Masheda represents the future—where Ugandans add value to what we produce. For the first time, we are seeing Ugandan catfish processed and exported to the UK and the region,” Ggoobi said.
“If we had more investors like Masheda across the country, we would achieve faster economic multiplication.”
Masheda proprietor Esther Ann Ampumuza said the factory was born out of a vision to create jobs, fight malnutrition, and give farmers a reliable market.
“Catfish is healthy, rich in protein and low in cholesterol. This factory is a bridge from the pond to dining tables in Kampala, Nairobi, Kinshasa and London. Our farmers, women and youth will always have a ready market for their hard work,” she said.
Through its Kembogo Aquaculture Park and Nkore Designs initiative, Masheda has trained over 300 youths and empowered women with alternative livelihoods.
With aquaculture identified as a high-growth sector under Uganda’s Agro-Industrialization Strategy, stakeholders argue that a dedicated local fish feed plant could unlock massive potential—making catfish and tilapia farming a sustainable source of export earnings, rural incomes, and national nutrition security.
