Uganda’s fish farming industry is experiencing a significant surge in growth, thanks in part to the efforts of innovative farms like Masheda Mixed Farm.
Located in Buyala, Mpigi District, Masheda Mixed Farm has become a leading player in Uganda’s aquaculture sector, producing over 2 million kilograms of fish per year.
The farm’s success is attributed to its focus on value addition, producing high-quality fish products that meet both local and international standards.
“We are not just selling fish; we are providing a well-packaged, nutritious product that meets international standards,” said Mavin Lwasa, Managing Director of Masheda Holdings Ltd.
Masheda Mixed Farm’s commitment to innovation and quality has earned it recognition from the Ugandan government, and the farm is now looking to expand its operations to meet growing demand.
“Our initial market was the DRC, which is Kinshasa, where we have about 60 stores in Kinshasa alone, as well as Nairobi, as well as the central Africa Republic. But very soon, we, earlier this year, we’re looking to list onto Amazon, where we’re going to be tackling the Belgian French and the UK market as well, because of the high demand from these communities within the diaspora,” Lwasa explained.
The farm’s model is also being replicated by other local farmers, who are seeing the benefits of investing in aquaculture.
“Masheda farm is focused on capturing every aspect of the value chain, where we start with the hatchery, where we produce our fingerlings and control our standards and quality. At Masheda mix farm, we also produce our feeds, as well as have the outgrower’s Pond scheme, where we grow our fish in our ponds, as well as impacts different communities by providing them with skills and inputs for them to be able to grow their own fish as well,” Lwasa said.
Masheda Mixed Farm has also made a significant impact on the local community, training and employing 500 youths who were previously living on the streets.
“So far, Masheda mix farm has directly impacted trained and skilled about 500 street youths. We skilled these youth into pond construction all the way to the harvesting period. We train them within our hatchery, within our outgoing ponds. We train them into the art of harvesting the fish as well. And we’re proud to say that a lot of these street youth, we’re now at 500 directly impacted, and a lot of these street youth are now earning a stable salary,” Lwasa said.
The company’s commitment to supporting local communities extends to its sourcing practices, with a focus on buying local and supporting Ugandan farmers.
“The initiative of buy Uganda build Uganda is on the forefront of this campaign at Masheda foods, as a Ugandan company, we are deeply committed to supporting the local economy through our buy Uganda build Uganda initiative, we prioritize sourcing raw materials locally. This ensures that we support Ugandan farmers and contribute to the agricultural sector’s growth,” said Douglas Denis Onen, a key figure at the farm.
