Annual milk production increases to 3.2 billion litres
The milk value chain has been growing boosted by rapid growth in processing. Photo / File
What you need to know:
- The increase is almost double the 1.9 billion litres registered in 2014
Annual milk production increased to 3.2 billion liters in 2022, according to a report by Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
The increase is almost double the 1.9 billion litres registered in 2014, which has been boosted by a collaboration between FAO and Dairy Development Authority, which seeks to uplift export of milk and dairy products as well assessing potential markets to strengthen Uganda’s dairy sector.
DDA, which is a semi-autonomous body under the Ministry of Agriculture, is mandated to develop and regulate the dairy industry, and ensure that all dairy value chain activities respond to the needs of the country.
Speaking during celebration to mark World Milk Day, Mr Marco V Sanchez, the FAO deputy director Agrifood Economics, said focus on export competitiveness is the latest push to boost the dairy sector growth under the country’s Dairy Policy Action Plan.
“We are pleased to announce our latest FAO support to Uganda, this time on milk exports. Knowing how competitive Ugandan milk is for international markets, it is the first step to boosting dairy exports, which is needed more so than ever,” he said.
Uganda’s dairy sector has been growing even as consumption remains low.
Mr Samson Akankiza, the DDA acting executive director, said they estimate that domestic household consume “just over half a litre a day, of milk, which is 68 percent less than the dietary intake recommended by FAO.
This, he said, means that Ugandans consume very low quantities of the produced milk thus, noting that they are putting emphasis on increasing milk consumption domestically through the school milk programme as well as expanding exports. Ms Antonio Querido, the FAO representative in Uganda, said the collaboration with DDA will be key in boosting exports of milk and dairy products, which will contribute to the ongoing efforts to strengthen Uganda’s dairy sector.”
The Dairy Policy Action Plan outlines a number of measures that must be taken to support growth of the sector.
The measures include enhancing infrastructure, curbing waste and loss along the supply chain, enhancing operations at milk collection centres and processing facilities across the country, improving the overall quality and shelf-life of milk and meeting food-safety standards for exports.
