UGANDA is on a programme to improve the livestock industry to produce quality meat acceptable in the European Union (EU) market.
The strategy is to have Uganda’s meat in the EU market by the year 2016.
According to Ocho George, of the ministry of Agriculture, meat quality improvement will enhance consumer confidence, attract increased demand, maximise economic benefits for farmers and induce more into commercial agriculture.
“In order to produce meat suitable for human consumption, we must ensure that there is quality handling of livestock right from the farm,” he said.
He was speaking during a one-day national livestock industry stakeholders’ conference held at Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala last week.
“If the meat industry is to be made vibrant, we need an operational partnership that involves the Ministry of Agriculture and other related departments together with farmers, meat processors and exporters,” Ocho added.
Stakeholders regret that some beef dealers slaughter animals under trees and skin them on the ground.
According to Prof. Daudi Kabasa, the dean of the faculty of veterinary medicine at Makerere University, a modern meat quality control system requires the strengthening of animal health management countrywide, coupled with the establishment and sustaining of disease- free zones in selected strategic production regions.
“Through widening our meat market, Uganda could become a country supported by an agricultural-led industrialisation.Given the necessary support, Uganda has the potential to triple meat production,” he said.
The Uganda Bureau of Standards 2008 livestock census report indicates that the country has a stock of about 11.4 million cattle, compared to Tanzania’s over 33 million and Kenya’s 40 million.
By 2008, Uganda had 12.5 million goats, 3.4 million sheep, 3.2 million pigs and poultry standing at 37.4 million birds.
Meat production in Uganda stands at 142,000 metric tonnes, with beef contributing 107,000, goat meat 28,000 metric tonnes and sheep 5,000 tonnes.
The national per capita consumption of meat is 6kg, which is below the 50kg recommended by Food and Agriculture Organisation and World Health Organisation.
In the 2008/2009 the agriculture sector accounted for 23.7% of the gross domestic product.
