Farmers want Dairy Corp
Mar 25, 2003
THE Uganda National Dairy Farmers Association (UNDFA), an umbrella organisation for dairy farmers in Uganda wants to buy out the Dairy Corporation when Government finally divests it.
By Raymond Mikah
THE Uganda National Dairy Farmers Association (UNDFA), an umbrella organisation for dairy farmers in Uganda wants to buy out the Dairy Corporation when Government finally divests it.
UNDFA chairman, Yowasi Makaaru said in a press briefing on Monday: “We have enough resources to buy Dairy Corporation.â€
Makaaru said the resources were in form of milk and meat products that can be sold to buy the country’s giant milk processing plant.
“We also own other businesses that can be used to mobilise resources,†Makaaru said.
He said the Crane Creameries, a commercial arm of UNDFA, was one of such businesses.
He said UNDFA has capacity to borrow from the World Bank and other international credit agencies to revamp the sector.
“Some people think that local investors don’t have capacity to buy privatised corporations. That is not true. We have the capacity and we can also hire the best managers to run the company professionally,††Enoka Kiregyera, a dairy farmer and UNDFA board member boasted.
The Dairy Corporation is among a handful of state enterprises that are in the final stages of the divestiture process.
Makaaru said it was more appropriate that farmers take over the Corporation, “Because they produce the resources used in dairy and are better placed to develop it.â€
“We are going to talk to the Government on this matter because we are better placed to develop the sector in line with the poverty reduction plan. We expect the Government to co-operate with us for this objective. We just want to take over what belongs to us,†Makaaru said.
He said their intention was to promote the sector to benefit all the farmers “Not only middlemen as it’s the case today.â€
Mrs. Joska Otto, a UNDFA member from the north noted that if Dairy Corporation was sold to somebody who is not a farmer it won’t achieve its objectives of developing the whole dairy sector which she said was in line with the Government’s poverty eradication programme.
She said the dairy sector would be at stake if the plant was sold to a non-dairy-farmer since such a buyer wouldn’t would only be interested in profits.
They said the sell of the plant to the farmers would help develop the sector.
THE Uganda National Dairy Farmers Association (UNDFA), an umbrella organisation for dairy farmers in Uganda wants to buy out the Dairy Corporation when Government finally divests it.
UNDFA chairman, Yowasi Makaaru said in a press briefing on Monday: “We have enough resources to buy Dairy Corporation.â€
Makaaru said the resources were in form of milk and meat products that can be sold to buy the country’s giant milk processing plant.
“We also own other businesses that can be used to mobilise resources,†Makaaru said.
He said the Crane Creameries, a commercial arm of UNDFA, was one of such businesses.
He said UNDFA has capacity to borrow from the World Bank and other international credit agencies to revamp the sector.
“Some people think that local investors don’t have capacity to buy privatised corporations. That is not true. We have the capacity and we can also hire the best managers to run the company professionally,††Enoka Kiregyera, a dairy farmer and UNDFA board member boasted.
The Dairy Corporation is among a handful of state enterprises that are in the final stages of the divestiture process.
Makaaru said it was more appropriate that farmers take over the Corporation, “Because they produce the resources used in dairy and are better placed to develop it.â€
“We are going to talk to the Government on this matter because we are better placed to develop the sector in line with the poverty reduction plan. We expect the Government to co-operate with us for this objective. We just want to take over what belongs to us,†Makaaru said.
He said their intention was to promote the sector to benefit all the farmers “Not only middlemen as it’s the case today.â€
Mrs. Joska Otto, a UNDFA member from the north noted that if Dairy Corporation was sold to somebody who is not a farmer it won’t achieve its objectives of developing the whole dairy sector which she said was in line with the Government’s poverty eradication programme.
She said the dairy sector would be at stake if the plant was sold to a non-dairy-farmer since such a buyer wouldn’t would only be interested in profits.
They said the sell of the plant to the farmers would help develop the sector.