Uganda milk production up by 1 billion litres in 2022/23

The dairy sector has witnessed a 37% growth in milk production, from 2.81 billion litres in FY 2020/21, to 3.85 billion litres in FY 2022/23.

However, amidst this success, concerns have arisen over the threat posed to dairy farmers incomes due to the widespread use of fake drugs and ineffective pest control chemicals.

During the release of the dairy sector's annual report for the FY 2022/23, the Minister of State for Animal Husbandry, Bright Rwamirama, announced a growth in milk production. The minister projects even more growth if farmers embrace more high-yielding breeds through measures like artificial insemination and focus on improved animal feeding and health.

However, the sector growth is not short of challenges, such as the intermittent closure and limitation of Ugandan dairy products in Kenya, which is Uganda's biggest export market.

Rwamirama also highlighted concerns over the impact of counterfeit drugs.

“Counterfeit drugs and acaricides have also had a big impact on the dairy sector, especially when dairy farmers have to spend a lot of money on treating tick-borne diseases with ineffective drugs," he said.

The state minister highlighted government initiatives to overcome these challenges, including development of vaccines by the National Agricultural Research Organization. He cited the anti-tick vaccine trials that were rolled out as part of efforts to replace the prevalent use of fake drugs.

Once successfully concluded, the anti-tick vaccine will be made available to farmers, revolutionizing the approach to tick-borne diseases.

"We are also working towards improving the quality and availability of high-yielding dairy breeds. This is being piloted through community breeding,” Rwamirama revealed.