By Herbert Musoke and Joshua Kato
Dr. Jolly Kabirizi a researcher formally working with the National Livestock Resources Research Institute (NaLiRRI) and a farmer at Kyakuwa farm at Seguku, says that if one is to have a successful dairy farm, should have plenty of feeds – grass, hay, silage and plenty of water.
The dairy industry also needs a lot of veterinary care in terms of vaccination, deworming and treatment of sick animals. There is need for constant and regular use of acaricides to fight pests.
“In dairy farming you can start with just one in-calf cow with good breeds like Jersey and Friesian which produce more than about 15ltrs a day which will cost between shs7m and shs10m. Such animals should be under zero grazing where a farmer will be growing pastures from somewhere and bring it to the animal. An acre can be used to grow pastures enough to feed at least five animals but you should harvest pastures more than three times and keep the pasture in form of hay and or silage before stocking,” she says.
However, the project has failed to set off due to lack of quantities and the quality animals and other animal products like milk required.
Dr Patrick Ssekimpi the president of Dairy Farmers Network (DAFAN), the umbrella body for dairy farmers in Uganda, says dairy farming is a very profitable venture. He adds that, for example, by the end of 2023 a little of milk went for between sh1,500 and sh2,000 and a kilogramme of meat went for sh12,000 and sh15,000.
“Milk and beef markets are ever increasing in Uganda and across African countries through the African Continental Free Trade Area free. We now have a number of African countries demanding our milk and beef unlike the past where we had to depend on East African countries only that used to impose a ban on our milk,” he says.
He advises to focus on the genetics (using artificial insemination), diseases and pest management, housing and hygiene among others for health and productive animals.
He adds that with the increasing urbanisation, pasture growing is another business one can venture into as more urban farmers are coming up who need feed for their animals. Therefore, one can invest in growing pastures and also preserving it as hay and silage.
He says there are a number of pasture varieties including chloris gayana, yellow and Bazooka high breed maize, giant setaria, Pakchong 1 super Napier, sugar-graze forage sorghum, alfalfa, sweet potato; New Kawogo and NAS pot 11 from Uganda and Wagabolige that can be gotten from the Nat.
Apart from milk and meat, you can make money from cow dung by selling manure to farmers at shs10, 000 a sack, make briquets among others.
