Performance data from the Ministry of Agriculture suggests that the targets Rwanda set to produce 112,000 tonnes of fish per year with a view to improve nutrition and economic gains, remain unachievable

Under the fourth strategic plan for agriculture transformation (PSTA 4), Rwanda aimed at tripling fish production from the baseline of 27,000 tonnes in 2016/2017 to 112,000 tonnes in 2023/2024.

Again, the same target was expected to be achieved in 2017 – under the third strategic plan for agriculture transformation – but the Government extended its deadline as it was not attained during the previous period.

Statistics from the 2021/2022 annual report from the Ministry of Agriculture shows that Rwanda’s fish production increased from 36,047 tonnes in 2020 to 43,560 tonnes in 2021.

This amount represents 47.7 per cent of the 90,000 tonnes that was expected in 2021/2022 fiscal year, or slightly over 38 per cent of the envisaged quantity in 2023/2024. Yet, only one year and a half remains until the deadline for the set target.

Considering this data, the per capita fish consumption in Rwanda was estimated at 3.9 kilogrammes per year in 2021, which is below the average Africa per capita consumption of 10 kilogrammes. Achieving the 2024 amount would bring Rwanda closer to that – with around 8 kilogrammes.

Solange Uwituze, Deputy Director General in charge of Animal Resources Development at the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB), told The New Times that the slow progress in fish production over the last years was attributed to the slow investment by the private sector in intensive fish farming projects.

On which intervention areas suffered setbacks that led to such slow performance, Uwituze cited accessibility of affordable and quality fish feeds at the local market, accessibility of quality fingerlings (young fish of almost the size of a human finger), limited access to finance, as well as limited access to aquaculture insurance.

To further the production growth, the Government considered strategies including fish restocking in lakes, and preventing overfishing.

Among the activities that were to be carried out, RAB had to produce over 18.2 billion fingerlings over a six-year period until 2023/2024.

Uwituze said that RAB has so far built a hatchery system that is driven by the private sector, with a production capacity of more than 38 million in 2021/2022, which was "expected to highly increase based on the ongoing expansion and newly licensed hatcheries”.

Speaking to The New Times, Alphonse Rudasingwa, Head of fish section at Rwanda national meat value chain platform, said that the fish industry largely suffered shortage of funding, adding that the targets can’t be achieved if the status quo does not change.

"Fisheries has not been given the attention it deserves; it does not get adequate funding. Yet, fish is important in improving nutrition for both children and adults,” he said, adding that more fingerlings should be produced and planted in water bodies including lakes and ponds for increased output.

"There is a need to provide easy financing to the fish farmers, which does not subject them to the very demanding loan requirements, so that they are able to run their projects meant to increase fish production,” he observed.

Fish feeds, imports

One of the major constraints that have been affecting fish farmers is expensive fish feeds.

"The fish feeds should be affordable to address the current situation where its high cost makes it difficult for farmers to breakeven and makes fish expensive for the consumer,” he said, citing cases where fish is retailed at Rwf5,000 a kilogramme, a price that many cannot afford.

Uwituze said that the total quantity of feeds demanded in Rwanda by fish farmers is at least 408 tonnes per month.

Among them, she indicated, 197.5 tonnes (or 48.4 per cent) is produced locally, while more than 210.5 tonnes (or about 52 per cent of the total) are imported per month.

Regarding progress in fish feeds production, availability, accessibility and affordability, Uwituze said that efforts will be focusing on improving the quality and increasing the quantity of the locally produced feed.

Also, a mapping of suitable sites for cage fish farming and their carrying and production capacity is under development and this will be used to attract more investment in cage fish farming in Lake Kivu, she indicated.

Other interventions will be on facilitating access to finance, and aquaculture input at local markets for farmers.