Schools Appeal to Govt to Fast-Track Milk Feeding Policy

The government’s plans to make milk feeding compulsory on school menus, after piloting the program in various schools in southwestern Uganda, have yet to materialize fully.

Schools have appealed to the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health to expedite the milk feeding policy in schools to combat malnutrition and stunted growth among schoolchildren, while also boosting local consumption.

The government’s plans to make milk feeding compulsory on school menus, after piloting the program in various schools in southwestern Uganda, have yet to materialize fully.

A steering committee composed of technocrats from the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Dairy Development Authority was formed to create policy guidelines.

However, these guidelines have not yet come into effect.

Part of the policy currently being developed is to ensure that the government begins providing capitation grants to schools to make the program effective.

"That's what the steering committee is working on, ensuring that there is a capitation grant to make sure that at least learners are fed milk twice a week," said Dr. Samson Akankiza, Ag. Executive Director of the Dairy Development Authority.

While the government has not yet provided a clear update on the progress of the school milk feeding policy guidelines, both learners and teachers have called for faster action.

They also urged the government to review taxes levied on milk products to boost local consumption.

"Right now at school, a sachet of yogurt costs Shs1,500, which is slightly expensive for us students," said Provia Nyakato, a student at Equatorial College in Ibanda.

"If the government reduced taxes on processors, the price of yogurt could go down to at least Ush 1000," she added.

Milk is a wholesome food, although some people still believe it causes obesity when consumed in raw form.

To address this, milk processors are adding value by reducing fat content to make it more consumable without side effects.

"I love yogurt. I love milk because it's a body-building food and keeps our brains active for us learners," said Jadida Royal, a student at Western College in Mbarara.

Two years ago, the government initially introduced a parent-led plan to make milk feeding compulsory in schools, but parents resisted due to financial constraints.

To make milk more affordable, processors began packaging milk products, especially yogurt, in smaller quantities for students.

Some school heads and learners who participated in the government’s pilot study have shared positive feedback.

"This is what we're doing at school. To us, it’s now compulsory. Our canteen is always stocked with yogurt because of its long shelf life, so our learners have access to it whenever they want," said Rodgers Ahimbisibwe, the food master at Ngarama Secondary School in Isingiro District.

There are an estimated 15 million learners across different educational tiers in the country, and the plan is to initially extend the program to nursery, primary, and secondary school learners before expanding it to universities.

In addition to addressing malnutrition and stunted growth among children, the government believes the policy will help stabilize milk prices.

"We want to start with learners so they grow up knowing that milk is a necessity, and we also want to instill the culture of milk consumption locally," Dr Samson Akankiza added.

This milk feeding policy comes at a time when Uganda’s per capita milk consumption stands at 64 liters, which is well below the 200 liters recommended by the World Health Organisation.