Dr Beine appointed as NAGRC&DB boss

Dr Peter Beine. PHOTO/ COURTESY

What you need to know:

  • Dr Beine is an accomplished administrator, Planner, and livestock development expert with more than 15 years of hands-on practice in both private and public sectors.

The Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Mr Frank Tumwebaze, has appointed Dr Peter Beine as the executive director of the National Animal Genetics Resources Centre and DataBank (NAGRC&DB). 

This was upon the recommendation of the NAGRC&DB Board of Directors and in accordance with the legal advice of the Attorney General. 

This appointment comes with a set of policy and service performance targets the agency must deliver in line with the National Development Plan III (NDPIII) development goals over the next five years.

Speaking about the appointment, Mr Tumwebaze emphasized the critical role of stock farms in the improvement of the national livestock herd and the active participation of NAGRC&DB in farmer education and transformation of the sector from subsistence farming to commercial agriculture.

“During my visit of the cattle corridor and in the east, I noted with concern the poor performance of some of our cattle breeds in the community and I have tasked the team to ensure that their outputs are for the betterment of our farmers in the community. This will be achieved through continuous farmer training sessions and community interfaces,” Mr Tumwebaze said.

On receiving the news of his appointment, Dr Beine said: “The performance targets for NAGRC&DB are already clarified in the Agro-Industrialisation Programme Implementation Action of the NDPIII; the minister has further given me policy performance targets to deliver in the current medium term. My team’s work is cut out and we pledge to deliver on our contribution towards the transformation of the sector from subsistence agriculture to commercial agriculture.”

Mr Tumwebaze  has also set out performance targets for NAGRC&DB leadership under Dr Beine that include centre farms becoming knowledge transfer centres to farmers and general private sector actors, reducing the animal import bill to zero, develop a licensing and regulatory framework for animal breeders which will be used to support, license and regulate private animal breeders, Breed, multiply and avail for uptake at subsidised prices.

Others are sufficient numbers of breeding stock on all its center farms and ranches, effective conservation of all indigenous animal genetic resources, produce safe animal feed enough to meet its internal organisational needs and for availing to private farmers for uptake at subsidized prices, roll out of 18 functional hatcheries in each sub-region and also cover the country with animal genetic improvement services such as artificial insemination and embryo transfer.

Profile
A sociologist Dr Peter Beine has been the acting executive director at NAGRC&DB for more than a year. Previously, Dr Beine was the assistant commissioner for Agricultural Planning and Development at the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries of Uganda. 

He has also worked as a research scientist and manager with National Agricultural Research Organisation (Naro) and Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA) and has extensive experience in international agricultural development project management with the World Bank, UNEP/GEF and CABI International. 

A doctoral graduate of the University of Greenwich in the United Kingdom with a PhD in Agricultural Economics with a focus on agricultural production and productivity economics, Dr Beine also holds a Master’s Degree in Agriculture from the University of Pretoria in South Africa and a Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture from Makerere University. 

Dr Beine gained a lot of ranching experience and livestock development from the sophisticated livestock industries of South Africa, UK and Ireland where he has participated in several international livestock development events. 

Dr Beine is an accomplished administrator, Planner, and livestock development expert with more than 15 years of hands-on practice in both private and public sectors.