President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has today welcomed a proposal for a Regional Farm Service Centre Initiative aimed at addressing challenges in Uganda’s agricultural sector, particularly the growing concern of counterfeit agro inputs.
The President made the remarks while meeting a delegation from South Africa led by Mr Andile Ramaphosa at State Lodge, Nakasero.
The delegation presented a proposal for a tripartite collaboration involving Namunkekera Farm Service Centre, the National Animal Genetic Resources Centre and Data Bank (NAGRC&DB), and Mr Ramaphosa.
The proposed partnership seeks to establish infrastructure for the profiling, controlled breeding, harvesting, and export of Ankole cattle genetics to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region and beyond.
“We would like to improve the quality of cattle to be like the ones in South Africa,” Mr Ramaphosa said.
President Museveni expressed appreciation to the partners for coming up with the initiative, describing it as a positive step towards Uganda’s livestock.
“I wish to express my gratitude to these people for awakening from slumber and coming up with ideas that can contribute to the transformation of our agricultural sector,” the President said.
The proposal also includes the establishment of a Build, Operate, and Transfer (B.O.T) laboratory, which would support quality assurance, regulation, and verification of agricultural inputs as part of efforts to combat counterfeit agro inputs in the country.
President Museveni advised the delegation to detach according to different characteristics.
“If you want to farm, get a specific gene, they must have characteristics, some are fat, have high-value milk and the ones which give good offspring,” he said.
The proposed collaboration is expected to contribute to the growth of Uganda’s livestock industry and strengthen regional trade in Ankole cattle genetics.