June 24, 2013

Following growing local and regional demand for Ugandan milk and milk products, Uganda's milk processing capacity per day has in the last one year grown by nearly 460,000 litres.

According to state minister for animal husbandry, Bright Rwamirama, the country's daily milk processing capacity has risen from 869,800 litres, to 1,329,180 litres per day.

Rwamirama attributed this to the presence of 38 milk processing plants in the country, including the newest Pearl Dairy Farm located in Mbarara. He said that there are four other milk processing factories that are set to open up in the country with a total milk processing capacity of 855,000 litres.

He was providing a progress report of the country's dairy sector on Thursday (Jun 20) at the Media Centre as part of activities to mark the Dairy Month held in June every year. This year's June Dairy month is marked under the theme, "Increasing Milk Production to Match Growing Demand."

This year, the national celebrations will be hosted in Mbarara and activities will include the launch of the National Dairy Strategy 2011-15, opening an office of the Dairy Development Authority in Mbarara, an exhibition by dairy value chain stakeholders, and commissioning of rehabilitated milk collection centres in Teso region districts of Serere and Kaberamaido.

Rwamirama attributed the developments in the dairy sector to government's efforts to support market access for dairy products, focus on value addition by liberalising the sector, rehabilitation of rural milk collection centres and providing milk coolers to dairy farmers' groups.

Besides addressing production constrains, the government is supporting the prevention and control of livestock diseases, improved breeding and breeding technologies as well as strengthening extension services.

He said this year there has been an addition of 100,000 litres of milk collection capacity to existing capacity through twenty (20) milk coolers provided by the Dairy Development Authority and NAADS, which were distributed to Busia, Kaberamaido, Serere, Apac, Buliisa, Kiryandongo, Nakasongola, Kalungu, Sembabule, Kiboga, Kyankwazi, Mbarara, Ntungamo, Rukungiri, Kiruhura and Kamwenge.

Also, as a result of value addition, there has been an increase in the milk farm-gate prices from an average of UGX450 (US$0.17) to UGX800 (US$0.31) per litre. This year, the value and quantity of milk and dairy exports is expected to be US$12.1million, a rise from US$11.5million in 2012, and US$3.4million in 2011.