People in the South Sudanese capital, Juba, want and love to to eat fish. And people in Terekeka, a town on the western bank of the Nile, want to sell it to them. The problem is getting enough from the net to the market in a good enough quality to satisfy buyers and make a profit all along the supply chain.

The Producing for Urban Markets Project (EC/PUMP) therefore aims to assist 500 young fisherfolks and fish traders, plus a number of returnees and agricultural smallholders, by training them on business methods, and mobilising them to form groups and associations to help each other thrive.

Since the project began in 2011, fisherfolks in Terekeka have improved their catches and sales through subsidies for fishing inputs (such as nets, hooks, canoes etc.); and the project is also establishing ‘bush shops’ and forging links between traders and fisherfolks. Meanwhile, EC/PUMP addresses fish processing by: setting up sun drying and smoking demonstration sites; organising learning visits to different fishing camps; and offering trainings on skills like gutting, cleaning and preserving fresh fish.

By the end of the project, an improved income and food security of 1,600 agriculture and fish producers should be realised.