Museveni Endorses Regional Initiative to Combat Fake Farm Inputs and Enhance Livestock

President Yoweri Museveni has given his backing to a proposed Regional Farm Service Centre Initiative designed to tackle significant challenges within Uganda’s agricultural industry, most notably the pervasive issue of counterfeit agro-inputs. The President expressed his approval during a recent meeting at State Lodge, Nakasero, with a delegation from South Africa.

The delegation, led by Mr. Andile Ramaphosa, presented a plan for a tripartite partnership involving Uganda’s Namunkekera Farm Service Centre, the National Animal Genetic Resources Centre and Data Bank (NAGRC&DB), and Mr. Ramaphosa’s group. This collaboration intends to build the necessary infrastructure for the controlled breeding, harvesting, and export of Ankole cattle genetics to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region and other international markets.

Mr. Ramaphosa highlighted the goal of improving Ugandan cattle breeds to match the quality found in South Africa. President Museveni lauded the initiative as a crucial step towards modernizing the nation’s livestock sector and boosting overall agricultural productivity. He commended the partners for their proactive approach in presenting transformative ideas.

A key component of the proposal is the establishment of a Build, Operate, and Transfer (B.O.T) laboratory. This facility will serve as a hub for quality assurance, regulation, and verification of agricultural inputs, directly addressing the problem of fake products flooding the market.

President Museveni further advised the partners to concentrate on identifying and developing cattle breeds with specific, desirable traits. He emphasized the importance of selecting animals based on characteristics such as meat yield, milk production, or reproductive capabilities to maximize agricultural output.

This proposed partnership is anticipated to significantly strengthen Uganda’s livestock industry, enhance the genetic quality of its cattle, and foster expanded regional trade in breeding materials. This initiative holds promise for both domestic agricultural improvement and international market integration.