The government of India, through Indian High Commission in Uganda, has supported the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) to train a cross-section of technical officers in Climate Smart Agriculture in Dairy and Related Value Chains.
The training is ongoing at the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE) in Hyderabad City, Telengane State of India.
Shahaji Phand, the deputy director of the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management, in his opening remarks, said India resolved to transform the Dairy sector during a severe shortage of milk and dairy products in the 1970s.
“The country depended heavily on imports to meet ou dairy needs despite having the biggest cattle population. We could only generate 21MT of milk annually,” he said.
He lauded the government of Uganda for the good working relationship with the government of India, which has resulted in productive collaborations between the two Governments.
The Commissioner, animal production and head of the delegation on behalf of the Ugandan government, Theophilus Mwesige appreciated the government of India for the unwavering support to Uganda and pledged to ensure replication of the knowledge acquired from India into Uganda’s agricultural sector.
The technical officers include officers from the Department of Animal Health, Department of Animal Production, Departmrnt of Agricultural Infrastructure, Mechanization and Water for Agricultural Production and District Local Government Staff from the Department of Production.
The two-weeks training is focusing on approaches that will help the agricultural sector in Uganda to integrate sustainable land management techniques, improved animal husbandry, and efficiently utilise resources to minimize the environmental impact on dairy farming.
Some of the areas of discussion are;-Climate-Smart agriculture in dairy farming, contribution of dairy sector in climate change mitigation measures in dairy farming.-Dairy animal manure, waste, and emission management.-Strengthening climate-resilient agriculture through livestock integration.-Climate change adaptation measures for sustainable dairy farming.-Housing and shelter design for climate resilience dairy farming.-Impact of climate change on dairy sector.-Nutritional management of dairy animals in various climatic conditions.-Promotion of agri-entreprenurship for sustainable development of dairy sector.-Climatic risk management and finance.-Safe guarding dairy animal health in a changing climate. -Weather forecasting and climate advisory services for dairy farmers.-Climate-resilient breeds and breeding techniques.
Currently, the Ministry is implementing the Uganda Climate-Smart Agricultural Transformation Project in 69 districts, whose main purpose is to increase productivity, market access, and resilience of selected value chains within the project area, livestock inclusive.
It also includes the objective of responding promptly and effectively to eligible crises or emergencies like climate change.
India is the largest milk producer and ranks first position in the world, contributing 24.64% of global milk production in the year 2021-2022.
The dairy industry in India’s size reached 16,792.1 billion in 2023. It contributes 5% to the national economy and employs 80 million dairy farmers directly.
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