Goat
He is a former soldier of the Kings African Rifles and by all means a very principled and hard working man. At 70 years, Mr. Apollo Ezati, a farmer from Lamila village in Terego district is not about to slow down. He aims to make sure his children and their children always have something to fall back to in life. Despite Terego district having no traditional fishing grounds, Mr. Ezati decided to exploit the abundant water resources of his village to start a fish farm. He started the enterprise in 1990, but the main breakthrough came with the registration of his group to access services under the NAADS programme.
“I have been doing fish farming for a long time. However when NAADS rolled out to our district, I eagerly joined. They helped me acquire knowledge to improve my ponds through several trainings in fish farming. After this they also took me for a tree nursery course in Kawanda. With their support I have started tree and fruit nurseries and opened up apiary sites. Ezati, who relies on his extended family for labor, said he has been given 200 improved beehives by NAADS to add to his income generating activities.
He now owns 10 fish ponds with 1000 Miira caps, 8000 Tilapia in 3 ponds and 1300 Catfish. “Catfish is much more popular and grows very big. Each fish can weigh three kilos after 8 months. Each kilo costs about sh4000, so I can earn up to sh15.6m after eight months. My problem is getting fish food. To get food supply from Arua is a lot of money and I also have problems transporting the fish for sale in Arua. Now I sell most of the fish here at the source,” he says. According to Ezati on average, depending on the stocking, he earns between sh6m to sh8m per pond per season and can harvest up to three times a year.
Tilapia takes up to six months to mature, Cat fish takes 8 months while Miira cap, which he imports, from Israel takes 8 months. While Ezati has no proper book-keeping records on how much he earns from his ponds, estimates place his earnings at over sh100m annually. “The market is available, people buy very fast but because I don’t have transport to take to Arua town, they come here and I sell the fish at a cheap price. As they come to buy, some also get interested in the trade and I train them to dig the ponds and start fish ponds.
As a model farmer, I have managed to train more farmers about fish rearing I have dung up about 48 such ponds in various parishes as stock farms,” a visibly proud Ezati informed us.
While Ezati is capable of buying his own transportation, his focus is on paying school fees for all the children in his extended family, alongside training them in fish farming such that they can be capable to take over the enterprise after him.
“I get the money but I have many children and grandchildren and am paying their school fees. Am happy that I have improved the production capacity of my farm and maybe this year, I will be buying a vehicle,” he said.
He has also diversified into tree and fruit seedling production, courtesy of NAADS. Currently he has 20,000 seedlings that he sells at sh4,000 each earning him approximately sh80m annually.
Mzee Ezati’s grandchildren are his greatest allies in his farming and trade. The youngest one, Joya Onet, is in primary seven at Kijomoro primary school and speaks fluent English. His ambition is to complete school and plan their family business much better than his grandfather. “I want to do what he is doing but do it even much better. He is now old and wants us to follow what he is doing, which is a good thing. But if I am more educated than him, I will earn more money than him in agriculture,” he said.
October 3, 2012 at 4:28 pm
Dear NAADS Official at the Headquarters:
I am writing to seek an update about the Grant Funds that were supposed to reach farmers at the end of 2011. My fish farm is KII2M Fish Farm and we would like an update on our proposal.
Thanks
Ambrose Ireeta & George Magezi (cellphone 077 4947 543)
Kicuucu, Bunyangabu–Kabarole District.
February 6, 2012 at 10:21 am
I appreciate yr efforts rendered to ugandans in order to boost household income please keep it up.For effective perfomance try to improve on mobilisation on grass roots by involving all groups of people.Jaa bless u.
November 11, 2011 at 9:52 am
some one en light me on bee keeping and piggery my email is ogwaltobias@yahoo.com and de number is 0782099653 thanks
October 18, 2011 at 11:25 pm
Thank NAADS Secretariat for bringing all FORMS OF TECHNOLOGY to bear upon improving Agriculture.
Currently I am touring some Fish Farms in USA which practice INTEGRATED FISH FARMING AND IRRIGATION (IFFI). This innovative method or sustainable technology unlike the expensive Greenhouse Technology and others utilizes water from the fish ponds twice : 1) Oxygen Rich water for sustaining the Farm-raised Fish 2) The Nitrate ladden water(from fish waste) recycled to manure the plants along the fish ponds
KII2M Fish Farm at Kicuucu, Bunyangabu- Kabarole District has adapted this CHEAP AND SUSTAINABLE TECHONOLOGY with success. So we invite the NAADS Team to visit our Fish Farm.
____________
Below are my earlier postings under other topics>>
I am Ambrose Ireeta and I am the Kicuucu, Bunyangabu Tilapia Fish Farmer with 7 Fish Ponds.
I am contacting you to find out if you have any updates or information you would like to share with us of Bunyangabu Fish farmers Association/Kibiito Saza headed by our Marketing Representative Nyakaana .
I am given to understand that the NAADS Team inspecting projects has been or is around Bunyangabu but my Kicuucu Manager George at 07749 47 543 has NOT heard any communication whatsoever.
I would appreciate if you would CONSIDER visiting our Fish Projects (some of the best in the area) – I know you have a busy schedule but getting to know what is happening at THE GRASSROOTS would be invaluable.
I am in touch with other interested parties at the National and International Level and I hope that the NAADS District Office engages our efforts alongside its current programs.
Thanks in Advance
March 5, 2012 at 7:36 am
Mattyice2423 on November 6, 2011 Hey Jon I commented on the ailcrte but I forgot to put my twitter so my name on there was mcmcorrea24 and my twitter is @mattyice2423
October 14, 2011 at 5:35 pm
I have always had faith in Agriculture and what NAADS has done is to reinforce that belief.Thanx for the goodwork,advice,interventions and all the help .I will be starting some farming next year and so get ready for occassional knocks on ur door.thanks.
August 12, 2011 at 3:54 pm
Hi Mr Ezati,
Am inspired by your revalation of how much you earn from fish farming. I am a fish farmer but the maturity period of 6 to 8 months has not been true with my case, and sounds like a dream. What is the trick to achieve this? you seem to be in the same problem with me about the feeding, but your situation is different that you harvest in short time. I ve problems with cat fish, they feed on each other and I cant believe you can relly on the number put in the pond.
I have more than ten ponds, but I have never realised such a good hervest and I have never been assisted by NAADS, what is the trick to get NAADS assistance. To me it is like impossible. Is it the NAADS leadership, in Tororo that is blind to see my project? I even has a fish hatchary which I have stoped for now.
How often do you introduce new fish fingers, to avoid over inbreeding. Does in breading affect the growth rate, and also maturity period.
Advise me mzee.
Mack Opowo, from Nyasigala Village, Mulanda Sub-county, Tororo District.
August 12, 2011 at 4:56 pm
Mack, please write to the Executive Director NAADS for support and give us instances when the Tororro NAADS Coordinators have not helped we will follow up.
August 15, 2011 at 12:36 pm
srahim
Thank you very much. I may not blame the District coordinator as such, but those at the base, Mulanda Sub county, are at fault, bacause I presented my case to them and am not sure whether they informed the District coordinator. I even paid for membership but nothing has been done. Am compiling my business concept as you advertised for presentation. I recently talked to Mr Okoth of Tororo on phone and he advised me to present my proposal for consideration.
Thaks for the response.
August 15, 2011 at 4:16 pm
Ok good move
August 29, 2011 at 7:01 pm
Hello mack,fish farming is totally aviable
business.i have done it for one year and am really progressing.the trick is in management practices like proper pond construction,feeding at the exact time say 10.00am and 4.00pm,use the right feeds from ugachick,proper stocking,stock fish of the same age to avoid bullying,never over feed your fish because they can die.fish dot neccessary show up at the surface in case of death.buy fingerlings from a good supply like son fish farm jinja.
for any query try to reach me.
August 29, 2011 at 11:02 pm
Thanks Julius, you have not shared with us your phone number
August 9, 2011 at 8:27 am
needs esistance on poultry rearing
July 19, 2011 at 7:17 pm
I have plans of begining piggery but i don’t have knowledge about it yet i have capital. can some body give advice or traing or where to go and get help.
Thanks,
simon
August 29, 2011 at 7:06 pm
simon i really do know where u put up but piggery farming is so profitable and cheap to run.if at all you are around kampala,i can allow you come to ma farm and learn more as in house conruction,feeding,disease control and higiene.
October 5, 2011 at 10:13 pm
Hey julius, am trying to get more idea about Piggery and fish pond and any idea towards that would be highly appreciate
October 7, 2011 at 4:53 pm
Hello Julius,
Am within Kampala and would love to learn from you about piggery. E-mail me if you can on adroma@hotmail.com. Thanks for the little you have shared with us.
July 17, 2011 at 11:52 pm
hi mr Ezati. thanks for sharing this information with us. i am a fish farmer who has been in the business for so long but have lacked encouragement and proper training for my staff. i will be very blessed if you gave me the chance to meet you for some more advice in terms of training my staff.please help i am on the brink of giving up. thanks
August 9, 2011 at 8:26 am
gooo
July 15, 2011 at 10:21 am
Thank you Mr. Ezati for sharing this experience. We recently started fish farming – at Kigogwa – your article really encouranges us on. I need to know what a Miira Cap is? Thank you.