NaLRRI moves to fight fake animal feeds

The National Livestock Resources Research Institute (NaLRRI) is to start producing animal feeds supplements with actual production confirmed to start in March this year.

Dr. Ambrose Agona, the executive director at NaLRRI noted that they are in the final stages of assembling machines to produce animal feeds.

The move follows a recent cabinet approval of the principles for the Animal Feed Bill 2018 that is aimed at regulating suppliers of animal feeds to eliminate fake feeds on the market.

This follows a public outcry on the poor quality of animal feeds that not only harm the health of the animals but cost buyers millions of shillings.

The director of research at NACRI Mugerwa Swidiq said that the factory is going to produce at a capacity of 10 tonnes per hour with farmers providing the ingredients to be used in the production.

It is estimated that at least 80% Ugandans have invested into agriculture as a livelihood.

However, many are frustrated by the animal feeds sector because of the uneven quality of feeds on the market.

The state minister for Agriculture (Animal Husbandry) Joy kabatsi said in the new policy, they are considering giving NaLRRI the mandate to test all imported and locally made feeds before they are put onto the market.

An agriculture research conducted between 2002 and 2005 discovered that not many farmers take the animal feeds they buy to laboratories for testing before feeding their animals.