UNIDO inaugurates a modern fish market in Juba
The Konyo Konyo Fish Market, has been officially inaugurated by the Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan, Prof. Dr. Wani Igga at the Konyo Konyo Market in Juba.
The inauguration ceremony was witnessed by the members of the high-level government; National and State Ministers, the Ambassador of Canada, UN officials and international organizations.
The new fish market is constructed to house 126 stalls – 73 for processed fish and 53 for fresh fish – with individual storage spaces, a borehole, water storage and water taps, office space, communal storage, toilets and generators for power supply.
The market was constructed with the support of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), in collaboration with the Kator Block of Juba City Council and the Jubek State Ministry of Animal Resources and Fisheries. The market is part of a larger project implemented by UNIDO with funding from the Government of Canada.
The market opened for operations in May earlier this year. Among the fish traders who received a stall at the new market was Winnie, a mother of two toddlers, who had been selling fish in the previous market for over five years. When asked about the new market, she said; “I am so excited to be in this new market, because it is so clean and spacious.”
The traders have also been provided fish trading tools including; aprons, gloves, knives, chopping boards, wash basins, cool boxes and stools to improve the quality of fish sold at the new market.
In additional to the construction of the facility, resident fish sellers also partook in various training courses addressing standard sanitary operating procedures and fish handling. Luate, a young fish seller in the market explains, “We learned a lot of fish spoilage and handling. I think our fish is now probably better than someone would find in other markets. Also if you look around, it is far cleaner than any other fish market.”
Fish traders in this market formed their own cooperative to look out for their interest. The Konyo Konyo Fisheries Cooperative Society is part of the administrative board to oversee operations in the market and resolve disputes. Mr Taban explained that he was pleased to be working in the new market, but more please that he had a say in how it should be managed”
The State Minister for Livestock and Fisheries – Hon. James Janga Duku, on his visit to the new fish market was also pleased by the functionality, accessibility and hygienic standard of the market. He said, he hopes that the Konyo Konyo market serves as an example for the standard of markets to be constructed in South Sudan.
Customers who have visited the new market have also commented on how clean and organized the market is; hotels and restaurants are now buying fish from the traders, gradually increasing the sales of the local fish sellers. Mrs Miriam, a frequent buyer at the market explained, “I like the new market. It makes buying fish easier. The environment is cleaner and I know the fish is good quality.”
About UNIDO Fisheries Project
The Upgrading the Fisheries Sector in South Sudan project has been operational in South Sudan since 2015 and to contributing to food security. The project is addressing the full value chain, from post-harvest loss reduction, value addition through to sales. Along the way, infrastructure and capacity are built to help ensure a regular supplier of fresh and processed fish can reach a larger number of people than previously. The project also works with small-scale business owners in the fish business to improve their entrepreneurial skills, as well as working with public institutions to increase capacity for the fisheries sector development and management.