agriculture 27 April 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Uganda Turns to Black Soldier Fly to Slash Fish Feed Costs and Expand Aquaculture
The Ugandan government, partnering with NARO researchers, is promoting black soldier fly larvae as a cheaper, local alternative to expensive imported fish meal, which accounts for 70% of aquaculture costs. This initiative aims to boost production from 120,000 to 1,000,000 metric tons by 2030. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/govt-turn-to-black-soldier-fly-to-cut-fish-feed-costs-boost-aquaculture-5438744
High feed costs are crippling Uganda’s aquaculture sector, eating into profits and causing many farmers to abandon underused ponds. Feeds make up 70% of operating expenses, with fish meal priced at Shs9,000 per kilogram and silver fish becoming scarce due to human demand and overfishing.
To tackle this, the government has launched a project with the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) at Buginyanya. They are scaling up black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae, which convert organic waste into nutrient-rich biomass. These larvae offer over 60% crude protein and 20% fats, costing no more than Shs4,000 per kilogram—half the price of fish meal.
Lead scientist Constantine Ondhoro Chobet explained that the fly’s high energy and fatty acid content makes it ideal for fish feeds. The project also uses fish protein hydrolysates from Uganda’s daily 10 tons of fish waste to create climate-smart aquafeed.
Funded by the World Bank under the Uganda Climate Smart Agricultural Transformation Project, the four-year effort (2025-2028) titled “Optimising suitable black soldier fly larvae substrates and fish protein hydrolysates as climate-smart aquafeed solutions from Agro-Waste Streams” seeks to equip factories and farmers with affordable local options.
NARO’s Dr. Victoria Namulawa Tibende noted that replacing silver fish with black soldier fly will make feeds more accessible. Director Dr. Nasser Kasozi highlighted the need for 1.5 million metric tons of feed domestically by 2030, emphasizing job creation, productivity, and export potential.
This innovation addresses FAO concerns over low local feed availability, which limits fish consumption to 10.1kg per person annually, far below the 25kg target.
Source: Daily Monitor