Global livestock production challenges:

Current status, future needs,

production obstacles in Africa—The

Uganda example

1Okedi, L., 2Baguma, Y., 1Kabirizi, J. M. and 1Kungu,

J.M. 1National Livestock Resources Research Institute, P.O. Box 96, Tororo, Uganda;

2National Agricultural Research Organization Secretariat, P. O. Box 295, Entebbe, Uganda

Presented at JAM Conference, 2015

Presentation outline

African Animal Agriculture

Facts about Uganda

Current status of livestock production in Uganda

Importance of Livestock

Livestock productions Systems

Production obstacles

Future needs: the role of science and technology

Acknowledgements

African Animal Agriculture

Africa is endowed with abundant natural

resources, including about 60% of the world’s

arable land, some of it still virgin land. These

resources, if effectively and efficiently harnessed,

could drive agriculture transformation.

About 80% of the population is rural and mostly

engage in small-scale agriculture.

Livestock accounts for 53% of the agricultural

capital stock and contribute 30% to agricultural

GDP

Nearly 70% of this rural population is dependent

on food production through crop farming or

livestock keeping for most of their livelihood.

Predicted that demand for livestock products will

increase substantially over the next 25 years.

There exits a yield gaps to meet the increasing

demand

African Animal Agriculture

Predicted that demand for livestock products will

increase substantially over the next 25 years.

There exits a yield gaps to meet the increasing

demand

Facts about Uganda

Uganda is also known as a “Pearl of Africa”

Landlocked country in East Africa

Total land area is about 241,040 sq. km (6.8

million ha, is under cultivation and 18% inland

water and swamp).

Population: Just over 30 million people

Climate: tropical; with two dry seasons

Average daily temperatures rarely exceed 29

Celsius.

The entire country lies above 900m above sea

level

Map of Uganda Map of Africa showing

location of Uganda

Current status of livestock production in

Uganda

Livestock agriculture is currently among the most

rapidly developing industries in Uganda.

The livestock sector contributes about 18% to the

overall agricultural Gross Domestic Product.

Uganda has about 15 million cattle, 12.5 million

goats, 4 million sheep, 3.6 million pigs and 42

million chickens.

A total of 5 million households in Uganda own

livestock (UBOS, 2008).

.

Importance of Livestock in Uganda

– food security, nutrition,

– employment, income

• Milk and meat

Enhancing value addition skills

Dorper sheep Value added

dairy products

Importance of Livestock (cont.)

Manure – low cost soil fertility

improvement

Living ‘tractors’ for ploughing

and transport

Living banking system with

high multiplier interest –

though with risk

Forages provide incomes from

direct sale of forage

Important risk reduction

strategy for vulnerable

communities

Forage for sale

Livestock productions Systems

Zone Crop/livestock

integration

Major

Livestock

systems

Major livestock

outputs

Humid Pure crop Intensive,

semi-intensive

Peri-urban milk

Subhumid Crop-livestock Intensive,

semi-intensive

Meat, milk, power

Highland Well integrated

crop-livestock

Intensive, and

semi-intensive

Power, meat, milk

Semiarid Livestock-crop Extensive

grazing,

Ranching

Milk, power

Arid Pure livestock Pastoralism Milk, meat

Livestock Production obstacles

Breeds and breeding

Feeds and feeding

Forage seeds and planting materials

Livestock production system is prone to climate

change, conflicts

Animal health and diseases

Land degradation and climate change

Livestock Production Constraints (cont.)

Weak linkages among actors

Market and marketing information

Policy and regulations

Inadequate investment in research

Land tenure policies

Gender issues

Poor infrastructure

Future needs

Livestock nutrition

Develop crop residue conservation, processing and utilization technologies to ensure adequate feed supply throughout the year

Reduce the risks of aflatoxins

Development and evaluation of forages tolerant to

drought and major diseases

The application of probiotics to manipulate rumen microbes to improve feed utilization

Establish a robust regional livestock research system

Future needs (cont.)

Livestock nutrition (cont.)

Rehabilitation of degraded grazing lands, through

termite control, and innovative soil fertility

management practices

Water harvesting and conservation practices and

use of cover plants especially Pistia sp in cleaning

surface runoff water for use in animal production

(cleaning and drinking water).

Development of forage based ration formulations

for livestock

Strengthen forage seed (systems) industry

Future needs (cont.)

Livestock health

Use of biotechnology, such as genetic

engineering to produce biologic and therapeutic

agents including vaccines and drugs

Livestock breeding

DNA technologies and Livestock breeding

Sexed Semen

Embryo transfer

Future needs (cont.)

Marketing

Use of mobile telephone messages, and other

electronic media to disseminate market information

Strengthening relationships among various chain

actors;

Product differentiation to create niche markets and

linking of poor livestock keepers to expanding

urban markets

Identify best options for dissemination of livestock

technologies for increased adoption

Acknowledgements

Government of Uganda

National Agricultural Research Organization

Development partners

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