Uganda government, EU launch Shs60.4bn project to promote beef production

The Ugandan government together with the European Union have launched a 15 million Euros, an equivalent of 60.4 billion shillings project aimed at promoting beef production in the country.

Named Market-Oriented and Environmentally Sustainable Beef Meat Industry in Uganda Project (MOBIP), the project was launched at Kakinga farm, Ntuusi Sub County in Ssembabule district on Friday afternoon.

Speaking at the launch of the project, State Minister for Agriculture in charge of Animal Husbandry, Joy Kabatsi said the project will greatly benefit farmers in their bid to increase the quality of beef produced.

“The project will come in handy to help farmers get educated on how to after their animals as one of the ways to increase the quality of beef got out them and they will in turn benefit greatly out of the entire project,”Kabatsi said.

She noted that despite the availability of ready markets for Uganda’s beef, the same has not been satisfied with the quality of beef produced and hence the need to improve.

“There are ready big markets in Europe, China and Saudi Arabia that the farmers will be able to supply if the quality of beef is improved through the project.”

According to European Union’s Chief Technical Advisor, Dr Massimo Castiello, the production of quality beef has an impact on a number of issues and in the end benefits farmers and the country at large.

“Production of quality beef does not have an impact on only food, nutrition and security in general but also has an input in the creation of employment specifically targeting youth and women,”Castiello said.

He said the shs60.4 billion MOBIP project is part of the European Union’s investments to ensure improvement in the quality and quantity of food produced by Uganda to sell on the world market.

“The money through the project will also go towards control of diseases that don’t allow animals to grow, production of good animals breeds and good pastures  and in this, we will be helping to increase the quality of beef produced.”

About the MOBIP

According to officials, the Market Oriented and Environmentally Sustainable Beef Meat Industry in Uganda Project (MOBIP), project will comprise the production of good quality pastures that will be given out to farmers in the various cattle corridors in the country and this will be handled by the National Agricultural Research Organisation(NARO)

The project will also have an aspect of animal breeding for high-quality breeds that produce quality beef that will be given to farmers and this will be undertaken by the National Animal Genetic Resources Centre and Data Bank (NAGRC&DB).

According to Dr.Christopher Muakasa, from NAGRC&DB, they would be producing breeds aimed at good quality beef production by bringing breed services down to the communities and standardizing of breeding in the country through profiling of all bulls in the country.

He noted that NAGRC&DB will also try to conserve the local breeds of cattle that are unique to Uganda.

The project will also look at the promotion and control of animal diseases like foot and mouth, an aspect that will be undertaken by Makerere University.

The Shs60.4 billion project funded by the European Union will run for two years until December 2021.