Give me the fish! From fish feed manufacturing to fish selling. Due to excessive fishing of the Victoria Lake, the lake is almost depleted and is leased out (against high prices) to (commercial) fishing companies. Due to this, local farmers cannot fish on the lake anymore. This has augmented the prices of fish and consequently many low income families are not able to buy fish. Therefore NAMA Area Cooperative Enterprise (NACE) has initiated the process of starting fish production (Tilapia) via fish ponds on a large scale. In addition, to ensure a continued, good quality supply of fish feed, they will start with the manufacturing of fish feeds themselves. If capacity allows, other animal feed will be produced as well. NAMA will take care of training of farmers, supply of feeds and collective selling of the fish. Local farmers or farmer groups will take care of digging the ponds, conditioning the ponds, feeding of the fish and harvesting of the fish.

Nama Area Co-Operative Enterprises Limited (NACE) is located in Nama Sub-County of Mukono District.  Started and registered in 2003 with the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Industry (MTTI) and given certificate number 6894, under the cooperative society statute of 1991 and regulation of 1992. NACE is a member – owned democratically governed and non – political organization providing business services to its members. Founded on the principles of collective action and self-reliance, NACE empowers farmers at the rural levels as they form Rural Producer Organizations, in order to improve incomes and contribute to economic development.
               
NACE is made up of 9 commercial agri-business rural producer organizations (RPOs)  of 25 - 250 farmers, that are independent and self governing, now totaling to 1,542  individual farmers (534 females and 1,008 males). Each RPO has an elected committee of 7 members. All the committees of the RPOs which make up NACE, converge in an Annual General Meeting (A.G.M) and  elect an Executive Committee of 5 members who in turn appoint staff who run the day to day affairs.

In June 2011, Petra Zwart and Rien Geuze of Agriterra has been executing a company assessment of NAMA Area Cooperative Enterprise. NAMA was selected on the basis of a business plan which they presented to the BID Network Organisation in 2010. The ideas of the business plan gave reason to assess the business potential of their ideas. 

During the 5 days assessment, it became clear that NAMA has been studying fish farming and training farmers since 2008 and is now ready to start with the production of fish on large scale (initially 300 ponds, future expectations of 600 ponds).

The production cycle of Tilapia fish is 8 months. NAMA will start in July with the manufacturing of fish feeds and the breeding of fingerlings (fish breed). The production cycle will end in March. 

Agriterra will support NAMA till 31-12-2011 with training farmers and local staff, with an exchange visit to a fish farming site/operator and with market research trips to the North of Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi.

The action plan consist of 3 different categories:

1. Preparation
1.1 Prepare production schedule
1.1.1 Fish feed
1.1.2 Fish ponds
1.2 Make Cost benefit analysis of fish feed
1.3 Make a cash flow overview of one cyclus (8 months)
1.4 Market study for the selling of fish
1.4.1 Local market
1.4.2 Export market (Rwanda and Burundi)
1.5 Exchange visit to experienced fish farming organisation
1.6 Finalizing business plan
1.7 Obtain micro-finance loan via UCA
1.8 Research of sags of 70kg
1.9 Make value chain analysis of fish pond production cycle

2. Training
2.1 Training of 300 farmers in sampling, feeding, post harvest handling
2.2 Train 50 farmers on Environmental Impact assessment
 (localizing and determination of fish ponds)
2.3 Mobilize and sensitizing 100 farmers for maize grown and post
harvesting handling of maize
2.4 Train 4 people in sex reversal techniques
2.5 Train 2 of NAMA's staff in excel
2.6 Train manager in accounting system on computer

3. Production
3.1 Start fingerling production
3.2 Selection of the brood stock
3.3 Develop stocking scheme
3.4 Fingerling distribution
3.5 Servicing the machines for feed production
3.6 Procurement of ingredients for and production of feed production
3.7 Buying sags of 70 kg

The goal of the action plan is to start the manufacturing of fish feed, to start the 8 month production cycle of Tilapia fish and to give additional training to farmer's and NAMA staff.