Government, through the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS), has procured dairy processing equipment worth sh2.5bn for smallholder dairy farmers in five districts.

The purpose of the equipment is to improve production and productivity, as well as add value to milk produced.

The beneficiaries include;

- Kigezi Dairy Farmers Co-operative Society from Kabale district

- Neema Dairies from Kamwenge district

- Dwaniro Dairy and Livestock Farmers Co-operative Society in Kiboga district

- Kyankwanzi Milk Processing Group from Kyankwanzi district

- Balawoli Dairy Farmers Co-operative from Kamuli district

Grace Fatuma Kazigati, the NAADS agribusiness development officer, said the equipment is expected in Uganda before the end of this month (May).

She said the move is intended to address the low levels of milk production and value addition, access to market challenges faced by dairy farmers, and improve the range and quality of Uganda’s milk products.

The beneficiaries were trained on how to handle the equipment at Mutanoga Dairy Farm in Rushere town council in Kiruhura district.

Kazigati urged them to take the training very serious, saying the government has injected a lot of taxpayers’ money into the equipment, hence the need for the beneficiaries to put the equipment to good use.

“The training programme is very crucial and timely because it will equip the beneficiary associations/cooperatives with the necessary skills and knowledge to manage the mini dairy equipment, which we expect to arrive in the country before the end of May," she said.

"Our plan is to have the equipment installed at each of the selected beneficiary’s locations by the end of the month of May."

According to statistics from the Dairy Development Authority (DDA), milk production in Uganda increased from 2.5 billion litres in 2018 to 2.8 billion litres in 2020.

That rise is attributed to the expansion of milk collection centres across the country.

Currently, there are 483 milk collection centres countrywide, with a total installed capacity of 1,938,522 litres.