By Prossy Nandudu
Officials from the Dairy Development Authority (DDA) are looking up to the proposed School Feeding program to increase milk consumption in Uganda. They believe the move will save farmers from the low milk prices whenever there is a bumper harvest.
This has been revealed today (Monday) by the Executive Director of the DDA, Samson Mpiira Akankiza, during an interview with New Vision on the prevailing low farm gate milk prices.
“As DDA, we are waiting for the roll out of the school feeding program such that we can consume our own milk. Because in Kenya where we are struggling to take our milk, there was a deliberate effort to increase consumption through their school feeding programs,” said Akankiza.
Akankiza explained that through a similar initiative, Kenya has increased domestic milk consumption, to 110 liters per person per year.
Milk prices in Greater Mbarara including Kiruhura have dropped from sh1000 to sh500 and other for the central region districts in the cattle corridor like Nakaseke, Ngoma, and Nakasongola, a liter of milk is going for sh800.
High milk production usually occurs during the rainy season due to the availability of feed like pastures, unlike the dry season. Unfortunately, this time round, increased production has coincided with denial of Uganda’s milk entry onto the Kenyan market.
Progress of on the feeding program
Akankiza noted that they have established the National Steering Committee on the School feeding program composed of the Ministries of Agriculture, Education, Health, and the Private sector actors like SNV among others to oversee the actualization of the program.
Pilot implementation of the programme has been taking place in South Western Uganda where some schools have been implementing it.
Akankiza explained further that their findings show that the Parent led model is working effectively mainly in private sectors due to issues of payments in Universal Primary Education (UPE) schools.
