President Yoweri Museveni has been presented with a bold proposal to turn Uganda’s iconic Ankole cattle into a major export earner for the region and beyond.
During a meeting at Nakasero State Lodge on Tuesday, Museveni hosted Andile Ramaphosa and his team, who unveiled plans to collaborate with the National Animal Genetic Resources Centre (NAGRC) and the Regional Service Centre Initiative at Namunkekera Farm.
The proposal seeks to strengthen the regulated breeding, harvesting and export of prized Ankole cattle genetics to countries in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and other international markets.
The visitors also tabled a separate proposal for the establishment of a Build-Operate-Transfer (B.O.T.) laboratory aimed at tackling the growing problem of counterfeit agro-inputs that continue to affect farmers across the country.
Museveni welcomed the ideas, describing them as initiatives with the potential to support Uganda’s socio-economic transformation.
“I welcome these ideas and thank them for their initiative. The Government will study the proposals and support initiatives that advance Uganda’s socio-economic transformation,” the President said.
If approved, the cattle genetics project could position Uganda as a regional hub for premium livestock breeding, while the proposed laboratory would boost efforts to eliminate fake seeds, fertilizers and other agricultural inputs from the market.
The proposals come as government intensifies efforts to commercialise agriculture and increase export earnings through value addition and modern farming technologies.
