Livestock Census Report reveals what NAGRC, MAAIF bosses are up to
The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries working through its top agency, the National Animal Genetic Resources Centre and Databank (NAGRC & DB) has made significant steps in transforming productivity in the Livestock Sector posting stellar achievements in all livestock categories in the country.
Going by the National Livestock Census Report 2021, NAGRC took strategic decisions including transforming the sector management and production structures, thereby making the semi-autonomous entity a vibrant national hub for livestock production.
These measures have led to near double growth in the country’s total population of cattle, goats, sheep, pigs, poultry, rabbits, and pack animals between 2008 and 2021.
The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) in 2021 conducted the Uganda National Livestock Census in all regions, sub-regions and districts to ascertain the level of livestock development countrywide.
The regions where the Census was conducted included Busoga, Buganda South, Buganda North, Ankole, West Nile, Elgon, Acholi, Tooro, Bunyoro, Lango, Teso Kigezi, Bukedi, and Karamoja sub-region. The Census was intended to provide data to government, local authorities, researchers, academia, and other stakeholders to aid planning and decision-making processes.
6.8 million Households feel the impact
The Census Report released in Kampala recently revealed that 6.8 million households, representing 72.8 per cent of the 9.3 million estimated households as of 2021, were keeping at least one livestock type.
The report showed that cattle population increased by 27.2% with the chicken population growing to 57.8 Million, an increase of 54.5% compared to the population in 2008; the goat population shot up to 17 million, representing 100% growth in a space of just three years; while the number of pigs grew to 7 million.
NAGRC & DB is a statutory semi-autonomous Agency of the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) with a leading role in the development and enhancement of animal genetic productivity and commercialization of associated livestock products in Uganda.
According to the Executive Director of NAGRC & DB, Dr Peter Beine, the good results posted in the Census Report attest to excellent leadership at the parent Ministry, MAAIF, and NAGRC & DB.
“First things first, the Agency put in place strategic programmes responsible for stimulating livestock productivity growth. The programmes include: The National Rabbit Breeding Programme; the Poultry Development Unit, the Semen Production, packaging, Storage and Distribution Unit; the Liquid Nitrogen Distribution Unit; the National Pig Breeding Programme; the Assisted Reproductive Technologies Unit; the Conservation Gene Bank; the National Animal Genetic Evaluation and Testing Centre; and the National Small Ruminants Breeding Programme,” said Beine in an interview just after the release of the Report.
“Secondly, under the Programmes, the Agency runs a total of 15 regionally distributed centre farms and ranches with specific livestock production and breeding objectives for production of superior breeding stock, which is accessible to farming communities at subsidised rates,” the ED observed.
The farms include: Rubona Stock Farm in Bunyangabu; Maruzi Ranch in Apac; Aswa Ranch in Pader and Lamwo; Got Apwoyo Ranch in Nwoya; Kasolwe Stock Farm in Kamuli; Njeru Stock Farm in Buikwe; Lusenke Stock Farm in Kayunga; Bulago Stock Farm in Bulambuli; the Livestock Experimentation Station and the National Bull Stud in Entebbe; Ruhengyere Ranch in Kiruhura; the National Poultry and Piggery Development Centre in Wakiso; Nshaara Ranch in Kiruhura; and Sanga Stock Farm in Kiruhura.
It is through the structures listed above that NAGRC implements and tracks productivity indicators aligned to the National Development Goals.
Below are highlights of how the various initiatives have led to the growth in animal numbers of major categories.
Cattle
NAGRC runs and manages the nationally accredited Bull Stud for production, packaging, storage, and distribution of semen from selected bulls with desirable genetic traits.
The Agency in collaboration with other development partners conducts training programs to equip animal scientists with the necessary skills for performing Artificial Insemination (AI) procedures effectively.
This helps to balance the ratio for AI technicians to farmers. Artificial Insemination and other Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ARTs) are a proven means of increasing animal production and productivity as they enable farmers to efficiently breed animals for improved genetic traits, higher-quality offspring, and increased yields.
The Government Ranches and Centre Farms serve as the primary source of livestock breeding seed in the form of live animals, hybrid semen, and embryos, among others. The breeding stock has over the years boosted smallholder farmers’ capacity to establish livestock enterprises as well as maintained the country’s genetic diversity.
While the Census Report further revealed that over half of Uganda’s livestock households are smallholder farmers with limited financial muscle to purchase high-yielding purebred animals, NAGRC&DB has ensured access by farmers to high-yielding dairy animals through importation of live pure breed animals such as Guernsey, Ayrshire, Holstein Friesian, and Jersey for distribution in Government Centre Farms where farmers can easily benefit.
To further expand its reach, NAGRC & DB recently bolstered its embryo transfer services program with a new mobile laboratory, which has been availed to both private and public breeding farms, thereby significantly increasing embryo production. These embryos have been transferred to local animals leading to the development of tropicalized, well-adapted purebred stock.
As a result of these initiatives, it is no wonder that the Report shows that the national total cattle population hit 14.5 million cattle in 2021, an increase of 27.2% from 11.4 million cattle in 2008; the total population of indigenous cattle breeds reached 11.2 million in 2021 compared to 10.6 million in 2008; while the population of exotic and cross breed cattle grew to 3.3 million in 2021 compared to 0.7 million in 2008.
The report also shows that the total number of cattle-keeping households was estimated at 2.3 million, constituting 33 per cent of 6.8 million livestock-keeping households in 2021, while the average herd size for cattle keeping households is six (6) heads of cattle.
The regional distribution of the total cattle population, according to the Report, shows that the Eastern and Western regions had the highest number of cattle estimated at 3.3 million cattle (23%), followed by the Central region with 3.0 million cattle (20.8%). Sub-regional analysis of the Report indicated that Karamoja had the highest number of cattle with 2.4 million (16.7%). This was followed by Ankole with 1.8 million (12.4%) and Buganda North with 1.6 million (11.0%). The least number of cattle were reported in Kigezi with 305,000 cattle (2.1%) and Bukedi with 469,000 cattle (3.2%).
Through the multiples initiatives, the dairy sector also registered a fivefold increase in milk production to 3.7 billion litres as of 2021 from 667.5 million litres in 2008.
Sheep Population
The total sheep population, according to the report, stood at 4.4 million in 2021, an increase of 27.8% from 3.4 million sheep reported in 2008.
Indigenous sheep constituted 98.2% of the total sheep population while exotic and crossbreeds constituted 1.8%. Karamoja region had the highest sheep population of 1.8 million, contributing 40.4% to the national herd size, followed by the Western region with about 900,000, contributing to 20.6%.
Analysis of the performance of the sub-regions indicated that Karamoja had the highest number of sheep with 1.8 million (40.4%), followed by Teso with 405,000 (9.3%), West Nile with about 398,000 sheep (9.1%), Bukedi with 65, 000 sheep (1.5%) and Busoga with 55,000 sheep (1.3%) respectively.
Goat population
The Reports indicates that the total goat population increased to 17.4 million goats in 2021, a growth of 39.4% from 12.4 million goats reported in 2008. Indigenous goats constituted 97.2% of the total goat population, while exotic/crossbreeds constituted 2.8%.
In terms of regional performance, Western region had the highest goat population of 4.6 million, contributing 26.3% to the national herd size, followed by the Northern region with 4.1 million, contributing 23.4%.
In terms of the sub-regions, Karamoja had the highest number of goats standing at 2.6 million (15.2%) followed in descending order by West Nile with 1.99 million goats (11.5%), Ankole with about 1.98 million goats (11.4%), Elgon with 569,000 goats (3.3%), and Bukedi with 508,000 goats (2.9%). At the district level, the highest goat population was reported in Amudat with 1.1 million goats, followed by Kaabong with 515,000 goats, Kotido with 492,000 goats, and Isingiro with 422,000.
Chicken Population
While previously, Ugandans imported chicks from India expensively, which discouraged the population from embracing poultry farming, NAGRC & DB put in place facilitates in Entebbe, Busunju Wakiso, Kayunga and Kamuli to hatch Nagrc Kroiler birds, and rainbow roosters with a fast growth rate of 3.5 kg in just three months and a potential to lay eggs five times the national average of only 35 eggs per year.
The improved birds were availed to farmers at subsidised prices. As a result, the demand for the birds skyrocketed leading to increased production.
The report indicates that the chicken population grew to 57.8 million, an increase of 54.5% from 37.4 million chicken reported in 2008 with the population of indigenous chicken standing at 69.9%, while exotic chicken constituted 30.1%.
The central region had the highest population of 20.7 million chicken, representing 35.7% of the total chicken population. This was followed by the Eastern region with 15.8 million (27.3%), while the Karamoja region had the least number of chicken with 1.4 million (2.6%).
Sub-regional analysis indicated that Buganda South had the highest number of chicken, with 11.2 million, contributing 19.3% of the total chicken population. This was followed by Buganda North with 9.5 million (16.4%) chicken and Busoga with 5.6 million (9.7%) chicken.
The least number of chicken was reported in Kigezi with 1.0 million (1.8%) and Karamoja with 1.5 million (2.6%) chicken. At the district level, Wakiso had the highest chicken population with 5.6 million chicken, followed by Mukono with 3.4 million chicken and Luwero with 1.4 million chicken.
Pig population
The total pig population grew to 7.1 million in 2021, an increase of 122.5% from 3.2 million pigs reported in 2008. At the regional level, Western and Central regions each with about 2.3 million pigs, posted the highest figures of pig population, with each contributing about 32 per cent to the national herd size. Karamoja region had the least population, with about 82,000 pigs contributing only 1.2% to the total pig population.
Sub-regional analysis indicated that Buganda South had the highest number of pigs with 1.2 million pigs (17.2%). This was followed by Buganda North with 1.1 million (15.0%) pigs and Bunyoro with 0.7 million (10.5%). The least number of pigs were reported in Karamoja with 82,000 pigs (1.2%) and Bukedi with 227,000 (3.2%). At the district level, Wakiso, with 426,000 pigs, followed by Mukono with 231,000 pigs, and Kagadi with 195,000 had the highest pig population in the country in 2021.
Rabbit population
The total rabbit population grew to 2.2 million in 2021, a five-fold increase in the rabbit population from 373,200 rabbits reported in 2008. Sub-regional analysis indicated that Buganda South had the highest number of rabbits standing at 499,000 (22.3%). This was followed by Ankole with 393,000 rabbits (17.6%) and Tooro with 272,000 rabbits (12.2%).
The least number of rabbits were reported in Karamoja with about 3,000 rabbits (0.1%) and Lango with about 31,000 rabbits (1.4%). At the district level, Wakiso posted 236,000 rabbits, followed by Kasese with 75,000 rabbits, Ntungamo with 72,000, and Bunyangabu with 71,000 as of 2021.
Population of pack animals
On the downside, the population of donkeys reduced to 63,000 in 2021, a decrease of 56.3% from 144,000 donkeys reported in 2008. The population of Camels in Uganda was 12,000 camels. Sub-regional analysis indicated that Karamoja had the highest number of donkeys with 46,000 and camels with about 10,000.
Beehives
The Report shows a growth in total number of hives to 2.6 million hives from only 747,000 hives in 2008. NAGRC runs the biggest apiary production unit in the country. With thousands of colonized bee hives well laid out in Aswa ranch, the agency pursues a double goal of boosting honey, wax, venom and propolis production while at the same time contributing to the mass conservation of the pollinator honey bee.
Going forward, the management of NAGRC&DB has put in place additional mechanisms to consolidate achievements by increasing efficiency in the conduct of its programmes and business.
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