By Joshua Kato
For several years now, Uganda and Kenya have been involved in a see-saw over the export of agricultural goods, including dairy products.
In 2019, a suspension was placed on the export of Ugandan milk products to Kenya. Kenyans doubted the exported milk originated from Uganda.
They thought that it may be imported into the country from other countries before it was repackaged and exported to Kenya.
A Kenyan delegation was given access to the various milk exporters to ascertain that the milk was indeed Ugandan. But even after this visit, the suspension continued.
Other complaints included the ‘poor’ quality of the exported milk. Naturally, this affected the sector and, of course, the dairy farmers.
The impasse seemed to have passed as Ugandan milk products were allowed again.
However, this week, the media reported that there is a dispute between Brookside, a leading exporter of Ugandan milk, and the Kenyan government over export permits.
This impasse is causing losses of about sh10b. The Ugandan Government must now look beyond Kenya for dairy products markets. Milk production is estimated to be over five billion litres per year, up from 3.8 billion a few years ago.
Certainly, this calls for wider marketing. Farmers must produce quality and all will be well.
