Uganda Dairy Sector Performing Below Full Potential
UGANDA - Ugandan dairy farmers are producing 2.4 billion litres of milk annually instead of 10 billion due to livestock diseases, low uptake of high grade exotic cattle, a high rate of failure for artificial insemination, limited access to extension services and limited investments in feed resources.
20 June 2019
1 minute read
A report by the Economic Policy Research Centre, based on investigations into livestock production practices and milk productivity, reveals that farmers could be making $300 million more.
The report shows that most farmers in western Uganda who initially embraced exotic breeds are reverting to local Ankole cattle.
An exotic breed can produce up to 40 litres of milk per day compared with just three litres from local breeds.
"It is largely on account of acaricide failure, which had not only resulted in high death rates in exotic cattle to tick-borne diseases, but has also increased the farmers' total disease control budget," the EPRC report stated.
Uganda's Dairy Development Authority (DDA) concurs. "If we can address all these problems, we should reach our maximum capacity. At the moment we are producing far below our country's potential of 10 billion litres per year," said Herbert Mutumba, an official at DDA.
To continue reading this article, please click here.
Source: AllAfrica.com
TheCattleSite News Desk
