ommercial fish farmers and local fishermen will soon be able to boost their incomes as the country's tilapia will soon be hitting the German markets.“We have Nile Perch available in Germany, but demand for Tilapia is on the rise. I am in contact with Germany trading companies to import Tilapia. Not many people know Tilapia in Germany,” said Uganda’s honorary consul to Germany, Professor Nikolaus Schmidt.
According to Professor Schmidt, plans have been made to link Uganda's and Germany's fisheries sectors in order to enable the exchange of technical know-how and strategic investments.
NewVision reports that in 2011, over 15,500 tonnes of fish were exported mostly to Europe, earning Uganda about sh212b, with the Nile perch species contributing a larger percentage.
However, demand for the Tilapia species has raised prices up in the last few months.
As honorary consul, Professor Schmidt will also promote Uganda’s culture and tourism potential in Germany. Ambassador Francis Butagira, a senior presidential advisor, noted that there are many Germans anxious to visit Uganda.
Ambassador James Mugume, the permanent secretary in the foreign affairs ministry, urged Professor Schmidt to link Uganda with German investors in infrastructure, telecoms, agro-processing and energy.
