ILRI research report: Dairy farming in Uganda

Results of an in-depth characterization study of the Uganda dairy sector have been published in a 2007 ILRI research report titled Dairy farming in Uganda: Production efficiency and soil nutrients under different farming systems.

The study revealed that dairy farming in Uganda is profitable, regardless of the level of intensification, so a highly intensified system like zero-grazing is not always the best option.

Additionally, poor soil quality was found to be a problem in mixed crop-dairy farms under all dairy farming systems, despite availability of adequate amounts of on-farm manure. Shortage of labour may be one reason why manure is underused.

More research is needed into the economics and practicability of manure application and how to integrate it with other farm activities that compete for available labour.

Citation
Baltenweck I, Mubiru S, Nanyeenya W, Njoroge L, Halberg N, Romney D and Staal S. 2007. Dairy farming in Uganda: Production efficiency and soil nutrients under different farming systems. ILRI Research Report 1. ILRI (International Livestock Research Institute), Nairobi, Kenya. 26pp.

Download the report

Workshop to review ‘Feeding dairy cattle’ manual for smallholder farmers and extension workers in East Africa

The East African Dairy Development (EADD) project plans to hold a workshop at ILRI, Nairobi, on 21-22 August 2008 to revise a manual on feeding dairy cattle for smallholder farmers and extension workers.

The manual -- written by Margaret Lukuyu, Dannie Romney, Robert Ouma and Keith Sones for the Kenya Dairy Development Program -- was initially produced in 2007 for smallholder dairy farmers and extension workers in Kenya. It has proved very popular and its revision is thus intended to improve the relevance of the contents to the wider East Africa region

The workshop will also review an inventory of extension materials on livestock feeds and feeding the EADD project is in the processes of compiling. Participants will identify what is missing and what is most useful to stakeholders and the information will help the project to produce dissemination materials to bridge the gaps.

Some 23 participants from Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda are expected to attend, representing private and government extension workers, NGOs, research organizations, universities and farmers.