The government, through the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, has launched a strategy to construct two fish feed manufacturing factories in a move aimed at improving the availability and affordability of fish feed for fishers and aquaculture farmers across the country.
The planned factories will be built in Kilwa and Mwanza through the Tanzania Fisheries Corporation, a step expected to ease long-standing challenges facing fish farmers who have struggled to access reliable and affordable fish feed.
Speaking in Mwanza on March 18, 2026 during a meeting to discuss voluntary guidelines for the management of small-scale fisheries, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, Agness Kisaka Meena, said the project forms part of broader government efforts to strengthen the fisheries sector.
She explained that the factories will help increase local production of fish feed and support both fishers and aquaculture farmers by ensuring a steady supply of the product.
“These factories will be built through TAFICO, and the government expects them to play a key role in supporting fishers and aquaculture farmers across the country,” she said.
Ms Meena noted that in the past fish farmers faced serious shortages of fish feed, forcing many to rely on imported products which were often costly.
However, she said Tanzania has made significant progress in recent years in promoting local production of fish feed, with several factories already established, including those in Kibaha and Mwanza.
She added that the ongoing discussions on voluntary guidelines for small-scale fisheries are intended to strengthen the operations of small-scale fishers and reduce post-harvest losses before fish products reach consumers.
Acting Director of Fisheries, Baraka Sekadende, said the guidelines also integrate gender considerations, particularly in empowering women engaged in fishing activities economically.
He said the government has supported the establishment of a network of women involved in fisheries and has provided them with training on fish processing and the use of improved fishing equipment.
The initiatives are being implemented in collaboration with development partners including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Assistant FAO Representative in Tanzania, Charles Tulai, said infrastructure in several fish markets across the country has also been improved to help fishers reduce post-harvest losses and maintain the quality of fish products before reaching consumers.
Meanwhile, Chairperson of the Tanzania Women Fish Workers Association, Beatrice Mmbaga, commended the ministry and development partners for supporting women engaged in fishing activities.
She said the support, including training and the provision of working tools, has helped strengthen women’s participation in the fisheries sector and improve their economic wellbeing.
Ms Mmbaga urged the ministry to continue strengthening collaboration between the government, institutions and women’s groups engaged in fisheries while expanding access to training and capital.
