Uganda''s milk processing capacity grows

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

According to state minister for animal husbandry, Bright Rwamirama, the country's daily milk processing capacity has raised 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 Thursday providing a progress report of the country's dairy sector 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 2011-2015, opening an office of the Dairy Development Authority in Mbarara, an exhibition by dairy value chain stakeholders, and commissioning of rehabilitated milk collection centers in Teso region districts of Serere and Kaberamaido.

Rwamirama who is also the MP of Isingiro North attributed the developments in the dairy sector to government's efforts to support market access for dairy products, focus on value addition by liberalizing the sector, rehabilitation of rural milk collection centers 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 liters 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 sh450 to sh800 per liter. 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.