Beginning the Dairy Industry's Development in Uganda
Since the end of 2007, TechnoServe Uganda
has significantly expanded its projects from just
Matooke Bananas
to also include Dairy, horticulture,
cotton and women entrepreneurs. Wendy was able to meet members of a newly-formed
dairy co-operative as well as visit 3 individual dairy farms
to see the project starting point and hopefully track their future
progress over the next few years. See below the pictures for more details.
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km. doesn't seem that far but after1.5 hours traveling
on battered pavement then dirt road requiring 4-wheel drive, I was
glad to see (Top Far L) the town of Lugazi in the Mukono District east of Kampala, Uganda. Though in April 2008 about 70 farms had started to organize, TechnoServe and its dairy development partners really established the Buikwe Dairy Cooperative in June 2008 (Top L). Formal training, the co-op structure and regular meetings began in July 2008 (Top R & Far R), |
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(L) After the meeting where unexpectedly I was asked to speak, I took a picture with attendees. Then we toured (R) the new co-op building with new credit union, vet and (Far R) animal pharmacy. |
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On one Buikwe Co-Op farm visit, we saw a (R) the few cows grazing in the field, (Center R) the farmer's wife who manages the dairy duties and (Far R) the muddy, open shed where the cows are penned at night. |
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(Top Far L) Our 2nd farm visit was to a widow (Above Center L) with
another very small herd whose grass-grazing was supplemented by fodder (Above Center & Far R) consisting of chopped banana plants culled after they produced their bunches. This provides some additional--though minimal--fiber and water. However, cows produce more milk with vitamins, minerals and other healthcare. Hopefully now that she's part of the co-op, she'll receive training, credit to buy animal services, and new ideas for feeding her cows. |
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The most impressive visit was the 3rd farm (Above Far L). We
met the woman (Above Center L) standing in front of one of her three
water harvesting tanks. Her farm also has a hand-dug 120-feet well (Above R). Not only does she then have a steady water supply for her household and livestock, but she is also using it to make yogurt (Above Far R). She is the only co-op member manufacturing/selling products made from milk. They also raises chickens (Bottom Far L) and goats (Center L), has a separate milking shed (Bottom Center R), as well as grows and dries coffee (Bottom Far R) and vanilla. This farm owner can become a model of product, crop and livestock diversity for the other members. Their ingenuity has already enabled the farm revenues to support all 6 children through high school. Now one son is studying abroad at university! |
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1st Farm
Over the next few hours, I visited 3 farms over incredibly bumpy dirt roads. The first farm has about five 2nd generation hybrid cows that are out in their pasture during the days. As is typical, cows are milked in a pen in the morning and night. But theirs produce less in the evening because of poor feeding for a total of less than 8 gallons per cow per day--vs........ U.S. prime cows can produce up to 30 gallons per day. Just a couple of examples of this first farm’s inefficient operations pretty efficiently are that they did not utilize any of the manure on their crops nor prevent any rain runoff from eroding their land.
2nd Farm
The second farm had one very good milk cow among five total, which produces 10L milk in the morning and 8L at night and so far has birthed 7 calves. The widow-owner knows that this cow should not bear more calves since it has reached the maximum recommended for reproductive health. However more breeding may be needed because the other cows and even the good milker’s offspring produce much less milk. She keeps a few chickens for eggs and meat and a couple of goats for meat also. She seems eager to do well and has already managed to successfully put her eight children through school.
3rd Farm
The final farm I visited was definitely the most impressive with 12 cows in the pasture and newborn calves inside a barn with 3 puppies to keep them company. The wife operates a chicken coop with more than 20 chickens producing eggs and meat; a piggery barn; and an efficient goat herd. She also grows a wide variety of produce for sale: Robusta coffee (drying in yard), matooke bananas, passion fruit, avocados, hot peppers and vanilla. As a side-business, she began in 2007 to cook and package yogurt in small quantities. Because of her other responsibilities, she has only been able to devote 2 days a week, using just a 4 gallon pot over a wood-burning stove. She is able to process milk into about 30 to 50 L of yogurt per week in 250ml and 500 ml sealed polyethylene packets. The wife easily sells to local schools, hospitals and some kiosks, with demand continually exceeding capacity. This farm could be a model to the other co-op members because they have managed to buy a truck, buy supplements for livestock and crops, and send their six children to school. In fact one child is recently off to study abroad at university.