Technologies for intensification in SW Uganda ... - Foodnet - cgiar

There is the added challenge of chicken destroying crop fields as well as the diseases in the free
range system.
Fish production
There are two systems of fish production namely open water fishing and fish farming
(aquaculture). Open water fishing is based on lakes George, Edward, and small lakes like
Nyabihoko in Ntungamo. The fish stocks have greatly dwindled in these lakes due to poor fishing
methods and wrong fishing gears. In some lakes in Kisoro like Mulehe, Kyahafi and Mutanda the
fish stocks were exhausted and NARO with the district authorities have just restocked the two
lakes with Nile Tilapia. There is need for more technical backstopping of these initiatives. There
are still challenges of farmers cultivating up to the lake shores which continue silting and
polluting them. These are experiments that need to be nurtured to provide lessons learnt for other
lakes. The other lakes will require a similar strategy which should actively involve the
communities surrounding the lakes.
Aquaculture: This is an area that is very much talked about but with little to show. The current
strategy of working with farmers who need and demand fish farming might be the way forward.
There are a good number of fishponds in the region. There is need to support fish fry production
by farmers and the actual production of fish for consumption. The other challenge is how to
integrate aquaculture into the production system of a farm household as well more capacity
building. Aquaculture could provide a major source of proteins in this region especially areas
with no access to big lakes. However, many farmers practice it as a low input system and expect
the fish to grow naturally without being fed.
Bee keeping
Bee keeping is fairly common in all areas visited. Most hives are of the traditional types that
significantly disturb or even destroy the bee colony had honey harvesting. Improved systems with
top-bar hives should be promoted and also help to overcome the second obstacle, the need to
improve the quality of the product. Most honey appears to be marketed in the informal sector but
some is processed, packed and sold in Kampala’s supermarkets. There was little evidence of the
marketing of bee wax – an area that could be substantially expanded.
Silk worms
Silk worms have been tried at a number of sites in southwestern Uganda. Although the concept
sounds very convincing, i.e. low demand for land and capital, the high labour demand, special
management skills and lack of reliable local markets seem to have affected most projects.
4.3 Natural Resources Management options
As indicated in previous chapters the need to improve management of the natural resources base
is widely acknowledged. Similar to what was discussed under the crop options, a wide range of
constraints hamper the adoption of the promising innovations, such as:
o Insufficient information on the implementation details of the various options;
o Non-availability of required inputs, planting materials, seed and fertilizer;
o Economic constraints and unfavorable market conditions do not only affect the use of
purchased commodities, like fertilizer, but low product prices also often render
investments in natural resources unprofitable.
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