Cows under the anti-tick vaccine research programme at the NARO farm in Maruzi, Apac district
The National Animal Genetic Resources Centre & Data Bank (NAGRC&DB) is set to receive UGX56.96Bn to carry out community breeding and restocking of Bukedea and Serere livestock breeding centres.
The plan is contained in the report for the 2026/27 National Budget Framework Paper that was presented in January 2026, by Remigio Achia, Vice Chairperson, Parliament’s Budget Committee.
“NAGRC needs UGX56.96 Bn for community breeding and restocking Bukedea and Serere livestock breeding centres. Furthermore, the Committee observes that the Central Region lacks a government ranch. Greater Mubende being a cattle corridor area which covers the districts of Mubende, Kiboga, Kakumiro, Kagadi, Kyankwanzi, Hoima, Mityana, Kasanda, Kiryandongo and Masindi, among others, requires a livestock breeding centre to support farmers in this area. This requires UGX 50Bn,” explained Achia.
The Ministry of Agriculture defended the proposal to restock the Bukedea and Serere livestock breeding facilities arguing that the move is in line with the National Development Plan IV whose plans provide for the intervention of producing, multiplying and distributing quality seed and inputs and NAGRC&DB plans to conduct mass restocking of all Government farms and ranches for rapid high quality breed multiplication and avail them for uptake at subsidized prices for wealth creation in all regions.
“Government has invested a total of UGX71.87Bn in Acomai Irrigation Scheme under the Agriculture Value Charn Programme (AVCP) with a development objective of improving household incomes, sustainable natural resource management and agricultural enterprise development. There is therefore need to restock the Bukedea and Serere Livestock Breeding Centres where people can access good breeds to efficiently utilize Acomai Irrigation Scheme,” Achia noted.
This prompted Legislators to adopt the recommendation by the Budget Committee for the provision of additional UGX56.96Bn be availed for community breeding and restocking Bukedea and Serere livestock breeding centres, but also asked to have an additional UGX10Bn be provided for the establishment of a community livestock breeding centre in Greater Mubende Animal feed production and processing.
Parliament was also informed that there is a scarcity of animal feeds in Uganda, yet NAGRC&DB has the capacity to produce high quality and affordable hay, silage and compounded animal feeds on all Government farms and ranches.
“This requires establishing highly mechanized planting, harvesting and post-harvest equipment for handling of animal feeds, storage facilities, processing plants for high quality and affordable compounded animal feeds. The Committee notes that these interventions require an additional UGX1.85Bn. The Committee recommends that UGX10Bn be availed for production of animal feeds on the government ranches,” Achia explained.
Although Parliament called for the provision of additional funds to NAGRC, this comes at the time when the Auditor General, Edward Akol in his December 2025 report to Parliament raised many loopholes in the operations of the National Animal Genetic Resources Centre & Data Bank at Entebbe, revealing that land measuring approximately 115,665 acres held by the entity did not have land titles which could result into encroachment, disputes and loss of public land.
“Relatedly, five (5) pieces measuring approximately 43,495.4 hectares had encumbrances in the form of encroachment by the local population. I inspected Njeru Government stock farm and noted that there is continued loss of land of over 357 acres and destruction of farm infrastructure by the encroachers which has led to insufficient feed for animals due to reduced grazing land and increase in animal diseases as a result of congestion,” Akol noted.
The Office of the Auditor General’s review of the assets register and physical verification of NAGCRC revealed that assets such as milking parlour and silage bankers worth UGX2.951Bn were either idle or underutilized.
The Management of NAGRC was also accused of exploitation and abuse of labour rights after 10 staff were found to have been acting in key positions for a period in excess of the allowed six months.
The National Animal Genetic Resources Centre & Data Bank was also faulted by Auditors for the low NTR collections where the entity put its revenue estimates at UGX.2.37Bn for the FY 2024/2025, but the entity managed to collect UGX690Million (29.2%) which negatively affects NTR collections at Treasury level thereby denying Government resources for implementation of activities.
