Farmers in Busoga Sub-region are set for a major livelihood transformation following the distribution of livestock and agricultural inputs by the National Animal Genetic Resources Centre and Data Bank (NAGRC and DB).
In Kamuli District alone, NAGRC and DB has distributed 50,000 improved chicks, 20 cross-breed bulls, 178 pigs, and 165 Kasolwe Brown goats to farmers under a government programme designed to modernise livestock farming and move communities into the money economy. The above items were officially handed over by the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Affairs, Ms Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga, who described the initiative as a game changer for Busoga.
‘Government agreed to rejuvenate all stock farms across the country with the objective of supporting communities to scale up household income. I am happy that this dream is now taking shape in Kamuli and the wider Busoga Sub-region,’ Ms Kadaga, who is also the Kamuli Woman MP, said. She urged beneficiaries to properly manage the animals and poultry, emphasising disease control and adherence to technical guidance. ‘These birds are vaccinated, but farmers must provide the recommended starter feeds and continue vaccination to avoid disease outbreaks. Care must also be taken of the pigs, goats and cattle as guided by technocrats,’ Ms Kadaga noted.
Kasolwe Stock Farm Manager Daniel Epinyu urged farmers to embrace the Kasolwe Brown goat, describing it as one of the most resilient and productive indigenous breeds in East Africa. ‘The Kasolwe Brown goat is tolerant to drought… and can produce up to four kids a year,’ Mr Epinyu said. He added that the dual-purpose birds lay between 150 and 200 eggs, compared to roughly 40 eggs from indigenous breeds, and that they grow much faster, reaching market weights of 2-3.5 kilogrammes within five months. Kasolwe Stock Farm also hosts a commercial animal feeds production plant with a capacity of five metric tonnes per hour.
‘This plant, launched by Ms Kadaga in 2022, sources raw materials from within the Busoga community. This has ….transformed the livelihoods of farmers supplying the factory,’ Mr Epinyu said. NAGRC also supplied 20 artificial insemination kits and liquid nitrogen, enabling rapid genetic improvement of cattle herds. Mr Thomas Kaaku Isabirye, NAGRC’s community breeding coordinator for Busoga, said the programme has already yielded results. ‘In the last two years alone, we have successfully inseminated over 10,000 cattle in the sub-region, significantly improving herd quality and milk production,’ he said.
About the beneficiaries
More than 139 farmer groups organised under the NGO Uganda First benefited from the programme. Their spokesperson, Mr Waiswa Kawali, praised NAGRC’s role in transforming the sub-region. The initiative is also helping locals shift from dependence on sugarcane farming. By providing access to superior genetics, modern breeding technologies, training and a ready market for raw materials, NAGRC is laying the foundation for sustainable agricultural diversification. The programme traces its roots to 2017, when the government revamped Kasolwe Stock Farm to revitalise livestock farming.