Along the shores of Lake Mugesera, in Rukumberi Sector of Ngoma District, a new fish farming project based on tank systems is being implemented, raising hopes of increasing fish production on Rwanda’s market.
The project is being carried out by a Chinese company, National YIPIN Technology Agriculture, founded by Fuan Lin. It is being developed on a 3.5-hectare plot of land located near the lake. The site will host various facilities, including a factory for producing fish feed and a large greenhouse that will contain up to 150 tanks used for fish farming.
A technician working on the project, Higaneza Sylas, explained that this method of farming fish in tanks is being piloted in Rwanda to assess whether it can yield higher production compared to traditional fish farming in lakes and rivers.
He said, “This is a new method we are testing. In just one year since we started, we have already harvested more than 50 tons of fish. That encouraged us to increase the number of tanks because we saw that production is improving and the project is progressing well.”
Higaneza also noted that despite the promising results, the project faces some challenges, particularly intermittent power outages. Electricity is crucial for the operation of this type of fish farming, and as a result, they are forced to use large amounts of diesel to run generators, which increases operational costs.
On the side of the Ngoma District leadership, the Deputy Mayor in charge of Economic Development, Mapambano Nyiridandi Cyriaque, said they welcome the project because it will play a major role in boosting fish production and addressing fish shortages on the market.
He stated, “Normally, Ngoma District used to produce about 500 tons of fish. However, considering how this project is expanding and the fact that even at the pilot stage it is already delivering encouraging results, we believe it will significantly contribute to increasing the availability of fish on Rwanda’s market.”
This tank-based fish farming project adds to other initiatives aimed at promoting modern agriculture and livestock farming, encouraging investment, and creating new jobs for residents of Ngoma District and the country as a whole.
