Katakwi dairy farmers get cooler to boost milk production

KATAKWI– Dairy farmers in Katakwi district have a reason to smile again after the Dairy Development Authority [DDA], a statuary agency under the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries [MAAIF] revamped and commissioned a formerly defunct milk collection centre.

The facility to be run by Katakwi Livestock Farmers’ Cooperative, is located at Ajeluk Cell in Western Ward, Katakwi Town Council, has been in limbo for decades.

However, the facility is running again with a new milk cooling system after DDA injected Shs 365 billion in the renovation of its dilapidated structures, which were being occupied by rodents and other small creatures.

Government also spent Shs 250mln on the milk-cooling machine and a standby generator to run the facility in case of power outage. The cooler has the capacity to hold 3000 litres of milk.

Samson Akankiza, the acting Executive Director of DDA said that the move to refurbish the milk collection and cooling center follows a request by Katakwi Livestock Farmers Cooperative to MAAIF.

Akankiza explained the intervention seeks to also engage farmers in value addition. He said milk is a global commodity that contributes 40 percent of agricultural trade.

“The government of Uganda has identified milk as one of the important commodities that will enable Uganda to attain Vision 2030,” Akankiza added.

According to Akankiza, Uganda currently produces 2.8bln litres of milk annually, earning in US$139mln.

“As a country we have strategies to double this by 2025, and one of them is to expand production in areas where there is no much production, especially eastern region,” he said.

Akankiza disclosed that the Eastern region has the greatest number of households owning indigenous cattle “Zebu” totaling to 2.4mln, the highest in the country as per the 2014 livestock census.

Akankiza said Katakwi milk collection would cut down post-harvest losses, as milk is will now be preserved in the cooler before being taken to processing facilities.

He added that DDA would use the milk collection center as a hub of services to farmers where such services like drugs distribution and artificial insemination will be available to boost the dairy sector.

Joseph Okipi, the Chairperson Katakwi Livestock Farmers’ cooperative said dairy farmers in the district have been making losses due to the lack of a milk cooler.

With the collection and chilling facility in place now, Okipi said milk production and trade would be boosted.

“There will be no more milk wastage. Dairy farmers’ livelihood will also be transformed”, Okipi told this correspondent in an interview.

Stephen Okure Ilemukorit, one of the renowned livestock farmers in Katakwi district believes that the farmers will now have an advantage because more milk will enter the value addition chain.

“We are happy that now we own the cooler and this will put us at an advantage in bulk sales and determining our own price and who to sell the milk to,” said Ilemukorit.

However, the State Minister for Fisheries Hellen Adoa, asked DDA to enhance the capacity of milk collection and chilling centers.

She noted that the milk collection and chilling facilities established across the country have low capacity.

Vice President Jessica Alupo Epel, who was the chief guest pledged to support Katakwi Livestock Farmers’ Cooperative and donated Shs 5mln.

https://thecooperator.news/katakwi-model-farmers-receive-in-calf-heifers/

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