Dairy farmers urged on good quality to access wider markets

Dairy processing for export has continued to grow resulting into an increase in foreign exchange from $139.5 million in 2019 and to $ 205 million in 2020.

Yet this is not the time to relax.

The remarks were made during the inauguration ceremony of the fifth board of directors of the Dairy Development Authority (DDA).

Speaking during the inauguration, of the new board of directors of the Dairy Development Authority, the minister of Agriculture, Frank Tumwebaze, urged dairy farmers to produce quality milk products to feed the new secured market.

He noted that farmers should stop worrying about market as the government has secured deals in countries like Algeria.

“The question of the market will be resolved as we go along. It is already getting sorted, manage quality standards, we shall sell whatever markets open and they are selling. What is important is for the farmers to get it right, manage their cost of production," he said.

The dairy industry is now the third largest agricultural foreign exchange income earner after coffee and fish.

Tumwebaze said the industry has grown tremendously and has maintained a steady growth rate of 3% per annum for a decade.

He said it is the second fastest growing dairy industry in Africa second to South Africa and the benefits of this growth are glaring.

Tumwebaze tasked the new board of directors to make policies that ensure that the farmers get to grow and enjoy what they do and not abandon dairy farming.

"The DDA board should provide a concept paper on the constraints and potential solutions [to the dairy industry] to be presented to cabinet," he said, calling upon the government agencies to balance between regulation and enforcement.