Ministers Bright Rwamirama (1st Left) and Frank Tumwebaze (2nd Left) at the inauguration of DDA board
The Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Frank Tumwebaze has tasked the newly inaugurated board of the Dairy Development Authority (DDA) to come up with a policy paper which he says will be presented before the Cabinet.
Tumwebaze said this at the inauguration of the Board at the Authority’s headquarters in Kampala.
“What are the economic points?” he asked, looking directly at a tent which had the newly sworn-in board.
“The cost entry. If I want to transform my farm to zero grazing. What do I need? Board members listen because after 3 years that’s what I want to see. How do you transform people who are suffering like myself with 200 cows roaming around but are giving me 70 litres. Can you imagine? A farm is a cost to you. The farm is taking money from my pocket. On the contrary, you should be earning. What are the costs to transform a farm to a fully-functional dairy unit? What are the costs involved? What do you want the government to subsidize? What do you want the government to not tax? Where do you want the government to put tax? Because there is something being manufactured here. So, you could say, Finance puts tax on something we are importing such that we get this cheaply. So, tell us how to improve the dairy value chain. This is the same question I am putting to coffee people, the same, I was putting to fish people. I want the board members to come up with a policy paper on how we can improve all those constraints. What do you want the government to do? Tell us then we take it to the cabinet.”
Tumwebaze says he has put the same question to every value chain.
“We want commodities to be developed fully through their value chain. If a commodity has a defective value chain, it has no market, we shall condemn it and we shall say as the government of Uganda, we don’t encourage you to grow this, grow it at your own risk. So, every commodity must have a clear, reputable value chain,” he added.
Tumwebaze asked the board to make policies that ensure that the farmers get to grow and enjoy what they do and not abandon dairy farming. He urged them to look at the economics of the dairy sector.
Maj. Gen. David Kasura Kyomukama, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), revealed that Uganda’s export potential suffers consistency of supply, consistency of standards (safety and food health – post harvest handling and processing). However, he pledged support to the board and the DDA.
“I pledge that I will support the Board to ensure that the dairy industry is supported to grow to its desired place,” he said.
RTD Col. Bright Rwamirama, the State Minister, Animal Industry noted that the sector can handle all the challenges in the sector for as long as standards are maintained, supply is sustained and production is increased. He revealed that farmers have to bring on board efficiency in the sector.
“It’s not about what you have. It’s what you can get out of what you have. We need to bring efficiency to the dairy sector,” he said.
Earlier, DDA Executive Director, Dr. Michael Kansiime named some of the achievements of the authority. He noted that milk production has increased to 2.8 billion litres per year, an equivalent of 1.9 million litres of milk per day. The sector, he says, provides livelihood to 2.4 million households. He also noted that milk collection has improved tremendously with several players in the market from about 15 in 1986 to currently a total of 483 fully equipped milk collection centres with a total collection capacity of 1.9million litres of milk per day which he said is operational countrywide.
THE BOARD
The board headed by Rev. Sandra Mugenyi Mwebaze was Wednesday inaugurated by the Principal Judge, Francis Zeija, and the board will serve a 3-year term ending June 2025. In her brief remark, Mugenyi welcomed her appointment and pledged to work to improve the sector. “I pledge to work with DDA staff to ensure that the mandate of the authority is met and for the development of the dairy sector,” she said. Mugenyi previously served on the board as a member, according to the outgoing Board chair, Benedict Katurebe. Other members of the board include Dr. Michael Kansiime, Immaculate Kibirango, Jane Vivian Tumwebaze, Dr. Daniel Kasibule, Clare Atoo Pamela, Dr. Juliet Ssentumbwe and Caleb Mugabi among others.
