Dry spell hikes milk prices
Apr 14, 2011
THE prolonged dry spell in eastern Uganda and the livestock quarantine in Teso sub-region have led to shortage of fresh milk in Mbale town.
By Daniel Edyegu
THE prolonged dry spell in eastern Uganda and the livestock quarantine in Teso sub-region have led to shortage of fresh milk in Mbale town.
The scarcity has shot up milk prices from sh800 per litre to sh1,200. However, at Eastern Dairies, a farmer’s cooperative milk plant on Pallisa road, the price rose from sh800 to sh1,000.
The farm-gate prices have risen from sh600 to sh900 per litre. Mbale district is the biggest market for milk from Teso, Sebei and Bugisu regions. However, follow¬ing a February outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Teso, agricultural departments in Kumi, Ngora, Soroti, Katakwi and Amuria districts have banned movement of cattle, goats, pigs and their products. Consequently, most milk plants in town have been forced to close. David Nasimolo, the manager Farm Products in Mbale, said the quarantine has reduced sup¬ply and prompted some milk plants to seek alternative sources of milk.
“The shortage has reduced the quantity of our daily sales to about 250 litres from 400 litres,†Nasimolo added.
An employee at Eastern Dairies, who asked for ano¬nymity, said besides the ef¬fects of the quarantine and drought, the plant increased the prices of milk to counter high inflation rates. “Prices of livestock feeds have risen. Since we are a farmer’s coop¬erative, we decided to raise the prices so we could offer the farmers better pay.â€
THE prolonged dry spell in eastern Uganda and the livestock quarantine in Teso sub-region have led to shortage of fresh milk in Mbale town.
The scarcity has shot up milk prices from sh800 per litre to sh1,200. However, at Eastern Dairies, a farmer’s cooperative milk plant on Pallisa road, the price rose from sh800 to sh1,000.
The farm-gate prices have risen from sh600 to sh900 per litre. Mbale district is the biggest market for milk from Teso, Sebei and Bugisu regions. However, follow¬ing a February outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Teso, agricultural departments in Kumi, Ngora, Soroti, Katakwi and Amuria districts have banned movement of cattle, goats, pigs and their products. Consequently, most milk plants in town have been forced to close. David Nasimolo, the manager Farm Products in Mbale, said the quarantine has reduced sup¬ply and prompted some milk plants to seek alternative sources of milk.
“The shortage has reduced the quantity of our daily sales to about 250 litres from 400 litres,†Nasimolo added.
An employee at Eastern Dairies, who asked for ano¬nymity, said besides the ef¬fects of the quarantine and drought, the plant increased the prices of milk to counter high inflation rates. “Prices of livestock feeds have risen. Since we are a farmer’s coop¬erative, we decided to raise the prices so we could offer the farmers better pay.â€