Title: Marketing opportunities of Ugandan Nile perch (Lates niloticus) in the European Union

Despite, the apparent impressive export performance of the Nile perch, little information about the characteristics of the export market is available to local participants in the industry. Thus the main objective of this study is to critically analyse the external environment and internal situation of the Ugandan export fishery sector and establish sustainable marketing opportunities for the industry. Secondary data and primary data from main informants were utilised.

Demand for fishery products in the EU are expected to increase. Fish consumption trends in the EU indicate that Nile perch is a highly preferred cheaper near substitute for the popular white flesh fish species. Results indicated that it is possible for Ugandan processors to profitably add more value to their current products by packaging, glazing, and portioning to the required retail packs for EU consumers.

The SWOT analysis indicates that the Nile perch export sector is an ideal business with many opportunities and few threats. Quality and promotion are the main tools for sustainable competition in the Nile perch export market. In order to build a sustainable competitive advantage for the Nile perch in the export market, strong collaboration in strategy design is recommended for all the three East African countries. However, in the short to medium term Uganda will most likely continue to rely on importers and middlemen for the distribution of Nile perch products in Europe.