De Heus Uganda opens first aqua feeds shop in Jinja 

UGANDA – The town of Jinja, Uganda, was alive with excitement on Friday, August 16th, as De Heus Uganda celebrated the official opening of its first dedicated aqua feeds shop. 

De Heus, part of the Royal De Heus, is a Dutch family-owned business with over 300 years of milling history. It is recognised as one of the top ten animal nutrition companies globally. 

The lively and colourful event attracted over 40 attendees, including notable dignitaries such as the Dutch Ambassador to Uganda, Frederieke Quispel; Agricultural Attaché Frank Buizer; Deputy Mayor of Jinja City, Ms Kawuuma Fazirah; and the Regional CID Officer of Jinja.

The event started with speeches from key figures highlighting aquaculture’s importance in the East African region. 

The Dutch Ambassador expressed her strong support for the initiative, while the Deputy Mayor and Regional CID Officer acknowledged the positive impact the shop would have on local fish farming communities. 

Local fish farmers enthusiastically welcomed the opening, expressing confidence that the new shop would significantly support their businesses by improving access to high-quality fish feeds. 

De Heus also plans to strengthen its relationship with local fishing communities by organising aquaculture training sessions soon.

Uganda has immense potential for aquaculture due to its large lakes and favourable water temperatures, which support year-round fish farming. 

De Heus aims to boost the aquaculture industry in Uganda and surrounding countries by providing affordable and reliable quality feeds through its local factory, reducing dependence on imports and offering a shorter, more flexible supply chain.

During the event, Bon Tjeenk Willink, the Managing Director of De Heus Uganda, provided an update on constructing the upcoming Aqua Feed Plant in Njeru, near Jinja. 

Once fully operational, the plant will produce approximately 50,000 metric tons of fish feed per year, addressing the growing demand in the East African market. The plant is expected to be operational by the first half of 2025.

The impact of the Njeru plant will extend beyond the facility itself, with significant positive effects anticipated on employment among fish farmers and local suppliers, as De Heus seeks to source raw materials such as maize, cassava, and soy locally.

Similarly, the construction of the first de Heus dedicated animal feed plant in Kenya is ongoing since its groundbreaking ceremony in April 2024.

The factory will produce feed for poultry, swine, and dairy and should be operational towards the second quarter of 2025.

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