Uganda is looking forward to invest more resources in the livestock sector as it targets to liberate livestock farmers from poverty.
Joy Kabatsi, the State Minister of Agriculture in charge Animal Industries said the government will embark on supporting livestock farmers by providing them with inputs like water and subsidized veterinary services. She said these are still a challenge to many livestock farmers in the cattle corridor.
“More valley dams will be constructed in most cattle grazing districts to easy accessibility to water for livestock especially in dry seasons. This will ensure sustainable livestock productivity which is compromised during the dry season,” said Kabatsi who had represented President Yoweri Museveni at the closing ceremony of the Second Uganda Livestock and Heritage Show that was held in Mbarara Western Uganda.
Kabatsi said the market for livestock and livestock products is available locally, regionally and internationally.
She encouraged farmers to adopt and embrace modern practices of livestock farming whichhe said will offer them a competitive advantage over other farmers in the region.
“Market for Livestock products is available .Farmers need to improve both on Quality and Quantity if they are to compete on the Internati0onal market but before farmers think of the international market, let them first think of value addition for their products,” She advised.
The Uganda Livestock and Heritage show is an Agricultural show which brings together livestock farmers, livestock services providers and policy makers from Uganda and with in East Africa.
The 2016 Livestock show attracted more than 30 exhibitors among which were farmers, veterinary pharmaceutical companies, livestock breeders and insurance companies offering different livestock insurance policies.
Ben Atwine, the Manager of the show told East African Business Week that the show seeks to connect farmers to various service providers in the livestock sector.
“Many local livestock farmers lack Information about improved breeding yet if we are to transform this sector, livestock farmers must embrace modern technology. The Uganda Livestock and Heritage show aims at Inspiring the transformation of the sector from substance farming to commercial agriculture, we hope that if there’s transformation in the sector, more Jobs will be created across the value chain,” Twine said.
Source:East African Business Week
