July 3, 2023

De Heus breaks ground for first dedicated aquafeed plant in Uganda

De Heus Animal Nutrition recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new plant in Njeru, Uganda.

The state-of-the-art facility will be the first dedicated aquafeed plant in Uganda, according to De Heus. At full capacity, the plant will have the capability to produce approximately 50,000 tonnes of fish feed per year, catering to the growing demand in the East African market.

Uganda possesses immense potential for aquaculture, given its large lakes and favorable water temperatures that support year-round fish farming. By launching the plant, De Heus aims to provide a boost to the aquaculture industry in the country and surrounding countries. Although the industry has shown promising growth in recent years, it requires affordable and reliable quality feeds for further development, De Heus said. Currently, most feeds are imported; De Heus’ Ugandan factory will offer a shorter, more flexible supply chain.

"At De Heus, we believe in the potential of Africa and that is why we are investing in expanding our footprint: in South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia and, recently, with modern factories in Ghana and Ivory Coast — and now in Uganda," said Theo Smalbraak, business group director of Africa and Middle East.

The impact of the plant goes beyond employment at the facility itself. De Heus anticipates a significant positive effect on employment among fish farmers and its suppliers, as it aims to replace imports and source raw materials such as maize, cassava, soy and others locally as much as possible.

- De Heus