Uganda's livestock sector gets major boost with state-of-the-art machinery
Minister Bright Rwamirama (C) with NAGRC officials after commissioning animal feed production machines on Thursday. Photo | Eve Muganga
What you need to know:
- The agency has introduced heavy-duty agricultural machinery, including tractors, tipper trailers, disc harrows, precision row planters, boom sprayers, and forage harvesters
The National Animal Genetic Resources Centre and Data Bank (NAGRC&DB), an agency under the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries )MAAIF), has acquired animal feed production and seed multiplication machines to support Uganda’s livestock farmers with high-quality, affordable, and locally-produced animal feeds to enhance livestock productivity.
Minister of State for Animal Industry, Lt Col (Rtd) Bright Rwamirama, said, "We previously had three core mandates, but we have acquired an additional mandate for the provision of feeds for animals... The machinery acquisition marks a significant step in addressing the nutritional needs of Uganda's livestock sector."
Rwamirama emphasised the need to revisit their core mandate and utilise the machines sustainably. "We must make sure we produce enough because feeds are very necessary... We have the land and the machinery," he said on Thursday during the launch of the machinery at the ministry headquarters.
NAGRC&DB Chairman, Mr Ben Anyama noted, "Producing feeds will make it cheaper for Ugandans to get them from NAGRC... We want to reduce expenditure on feeds and call upon the government to support us."
"We've invested in this equipment for feed and seed multiplication to enhance both crop and livestock breeding. This technology will significantly contribute to achieving our goals. Producing our own animal feeds is crucial, as purchasing them has proven to be costly for the agency," he added.
NAGRC&DB has introduced machinery including three heavy-duty agriculture tractors, six 10-tonne capacity tipper trailers, three primary and three secondary disc harrows, three precision row planters with high seed and fertilizer capacities, three long-range boom sprayers with an 18-meter width, and three forage harvesters.
Dr Peter Beine, Executive Director of NAGRC&DB, stated, "This machinery enables mass production of animal feeds, meeting the nutritional needs of our accelerated livestock breeding programs and supporting Ugandan livestock farmers' livelihoods. We're providing not only improved breeding stock but also essential nutritional support for their success. This initiative demonstrates our dedication to boosting agricultural productivity and resilience in Uganda's livestock sector."
