President Yoweri Museveni has urged dairy farmers to shift their focus from liquid milk to the production of casein and powdered milk to tap into the lucrative international market.
During a meeting with dairy farmers from Kazo and Kiruhura districts at Karo Primary School in Nshwere, Kiruhura District on Wednesday, the President emphasized the importance of processed products for export, highlighting their potential for longevity and better prices in global markets.
Acknowledging Uganda’s annual milk production of 5 billion liters, President Museveni stressed the need to explore international demand and ensure compliance with market requirements.
He further noted that processing liquid milk into powdered form reduces export costs significantly.
“We need to meet the external market requirements, Liquid milk is heavy in nature and very costly for exportation but if you take time and process it into powdered milk, it becomes light and less expensive, this I can assure you,” he noted.
President Museveni emphasized the tremendous growth of Uganda’s dairy industry and addressed the challenge of insufficient market for milk products and he called for a concerted effort to meet external market requirements.
In addition, the President urged local government officials to play an active role in sensitizing communities about environmental protection.
Hon. Frank Tumwebaze, the Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries, shared positive news about the locally developed Anti-tick vaccine, boasting an impressive 88% efficacy based on conclusive trials.
“I want to inform you the farmers that the final trials of the vaccine have been conclusively done and the vaccine stands at 88% efficacy. This is much higher than the only vaccine from Cuba which was commercialized at 50 %,” he noted.
The meeting, attended by various dignitaries including the Bishop of North Ankole Diocese, Rev. Canon Stephen Namanya, and Member of Parliament for Nyabushozi County, Hon. Wilson Kajwengye, also featured Dairy Development Authority Executive Director Mr. Samson Akankiza.