Fish farming in Rwanda has started during the monarchy and Belgian colonial administration at the
end of the 1940s (MINAGRI 2011). The category of aquaculture that was promoted until now was
subsistence fish farming characterized by low inputs and low outputs, based on pond fertilisation from
livestock wastes. Between 1960-1965 aquaculture developments stand still. From 1969 renewal of
aquaculture development took place. Various FAO/UNDP projects, focussing on small holder
subsistence aquaculture, caused a boom production during the project times. In the 80-90’s, Belgian
inter-university cooperation (K.U.Leuven, University of Namur) and USAID funded projects such as the
pond dynamics/collaborative research support program (PD/CRSP) focused on aquaculture research
and development projects which allowed a flow of knowledge and technology into the country.
However, each time at the expiry of the project, productions declined and ponds were abandoned.
The latest project promoting aquaculture came from the Inland Lakes Integrated Development and
Management Project (PAIGELAC). PAIGELAC started in 2006 and officially closed the activities on 31st
March 2013 after a period of 6 years and its activities are nowadays managed by Rwanda Agriculture
Board. The project has rehabilitated nearly 218 ha of fish ponds and stocked them with fingerlings.
Moreover, cage farming (known locally as kareremba) has been found by PAIGELAC a viable means to
increase fish production in Rwanda and hence this activity has been encouraged whereas cages have
been recently placed in Lake Kivu and other lakes in Rwanda. A total of 678 cages for intensive tilapia
farming on lakes Bulera, Ruhondo, Kivu and Muhazi have been secured, most of which are 8 m3 each
while others are 27 m3 each. A total of 5,600,000 Oreochromis niloticus fingerlings were purchased
and distributed to cooperatives of fish (MINICOM, 2014). Recent data from MINAGRI shows that the
total production from ponds, dams and cages in 2013/14 stood at a total production of 1,500 tonnes.
However, it is expected that production will decline again in the coming year because the PAIGELAC
project support and subsidies have ended in 2013. A detailed list of farms is provided in Annex 7.
Nevertheless and despite constraints, during the recent years an establishment of commercial fish
farms to supply fish to urban markets has been observed. Lakeside Fish Farm is one of them.
4.4 Fish value chain
4.4.1 Fish marketing
Figure 15 illustrates the marketing in Rwanda. The marketing chain for Rwanda is less complex than
the marketing chain for Tanzania.
On the domestic market in Rwanda imported fish products and local small sardines (Isambaza) and
tilapia are the most popular fish species. Since 2012 Alpha Choice, an exporter entering the Rwandan
market, started to import tilapia from Uganda, Mackerel from Japan and Pangasius from Vietnam. In
2014 this importer is selling around 20 40-feet containers with frozen fish to the Rwandan market.
Aquaculture products are mostly sold at the farm gate or on the local markets around the ponds or the
cages. The fish for the domestic market is mainly distributed by road. Most of the time the fish is
transported in wooden boxes on motorcycles, but also in refrigerated trucks (imported fish from Alpha
Choice). The transport between all cities in Rwanda can be done within 5 hours.
4.4.2 Domestic market
Local market: The local markets are the main areas where most households in Rwanda buy their food.
The fish availability in the local markets depends on the size and location of the market and is less
abundant as in Tanzania. Markets in regions around lakes provide more fresh, sun-dried and smoked
Sardine like species, Tilapias and Haplochromines, than markets further away from water resources.
In de bigger cities, like Kigali, half of the supply is frozen and imported. Market prices vary between
RWF500 for a big hand of sardine like fish to RWF5,500/kg for frozen Nile perch fillets.
Hotels and restaurants: Fish can be found on the menu of restaurants and hotels. However, the fish is
not always available when ordering it. The number of hotels is growing and can create a growing
demand for (local) fish. Rwandan people prefer fillets above whole fish. The Rwandese are not familiar
with fish and don’t want to struggle with bones. Mainly Nile perch menus are served, but also tilapia
dishes. These Tilapia’s are most of the time imported from neighbouring countries. The fish (most of
the time fried or cooked) are combined with vegetables and rice/potatoes. Prices vary mainly between
RWF6,000/kg and RWF10,000/kg for above mentioned products.
Butcheries: In Rwanda butcheries sell mainly frozen imported fish products. These butcheries sell the
fish, like pangasius (Vietnam), mackerel (India, Japan) and tilapia (Uganda), to the middle-income
households. Fish are sold per kg.
Beef is sold for around RWF1,900/kg and chicken for around RWF4,000/kg. The fish prices vary
between RWF2,500/kg for frozen whole tilapia from Uganda and RWF5,500/kg for frozen Nile perch
fillets from Lake Victoria.
Retail: As in Rwandan butcheries, supermarkets mainly sell imported products. Frozen tilapia (whole)
and Nile perch (fillets) from Uganda/Tanzania were sold the most. Dried sardine like fish are sold on a
regular base in 500 grams or 1000 grams bags. Frozen whole tilapia are sold for RWF3,500/kg, Nile
perch fillets for RWF5,500/kg and the dried sardine like species for RWF10,000/kg.
A detailed overview of fish prices in Rwanda is available in annex 8.
In figure 16 the nominal year prices (blue line) and real year prices (green line) of Tilapia (Euro/kg)
are given for the period 2009-2014. The actual and corrected year prices increase over time.
Figure 16 Nominal prices (blue line) and real prices (green line) of Tilapia in Rwanda.
Sources: www.tradingeconomics.com; www.oanda.com
4.5 Potential for aquaculture development
4.5.1 Production systems and areas
Intensification of present extensive and semi-intensive earthen ponds and further development of
cage culture are expected to become the major production systems in the near future. Intensification
of pond based fish production is only expected from cooperatives of smallholder fish producers
concentrated in a particular location which are market- and profit-oriented. These can negotiate good
prices and buy inputs and sell fish collectively, provided that in a short term pond inputs, mainly
quality fingerlings and feeds, become available and affordable and fish markets are organised beyond
selling at the farm gate. Presently fish farming is being carried out on only 218 ha and 718 cages
operating in over 186 cooperatives.
Significant growth in fish production in Rwanda is particularly expected to come from further
development of cage farming. In contrast to (individual or cooperative) ponds which are scattered
across the country and far from each other’s, cage farms are concentrated on particular water bodies
to a certain scale that can facilitate access to primordial inputs (seeds, feeds, capital, knowledge) and
mobilise investment capital from owners and eventual shareholders and convince financial institutions
to facilitate aquaculture bank loans.
