UGANDA – Uganda has launched the Royal Milk Enterprises Factory in Nalukolongo, led by President Museveni, who emphasized the importance of local production and the shift toward commercial farming.
The factory currently collects 200,000 liters of milk daily from 25 collection centers across Uganda, reflecting the country’s potential in dairy production.
During the launch, President Museveni commended Bunyoro cattle keepers and farmers for adopting his call for commercial farming.
He expressed that “the problem of Africa is not poverty; it is a conceptual issue,” urging a better understanding of how prosperity is achieved.
In addition, he stressed the need to focus on processing liquid milk into products suitable for export, stating that processed milk has better longevity and market prices.
Museveni highlighted Uganda’s impressive annual milk production of 5 billion liters, while also noting the discrepancy in consumption levels, which currently sit at 800 million liters.
“We have a surplus of more than 4 billion liters of milk,” he said, advocating for the production of value-added products like powdered milk to meet international market demands.
He praised the leadership of Hajji Kigoye’s family for continuing their father’s legacy in the food sector and for their commitment to business expansion.
Museveni urged local entrepreneurs to innovate and explore new markets, reaffirming government support for the milk industry.
Minister of State for Youth and Children Affairs, Balaam Barugahara, emphasized the importance of engaging youth in national development and thanked the Kigoye family for their dedication to wealth creation.
He encouraged young people to take advantage of available opportunities in the economy.
Meanwhile, underterred by trade barriers from its largest client, Kenya, Uganda is forging ahead with is efforts to elevate its dairy industry onto the global stage.
The dairy sector experienced a remarkable boom between 2000 and 2019, with milk production skyrocketing from ascent as a dairy powerhouse was largely export driven with one country, Kenya accounting for over 80% of exports.
This dependency became a fatal flaw, which Uganda only recognized in 2019 when Kenya began imposing restrictions to safeguard its own dairy fortunes.
It is estimated that the 2019 blockade of Ugandan milk resulted in the loss of 40, 000 jobs and incomes for 3.8 million households.
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