How dry spells have affected milk supply

A milk dealer attends to a customer at Kabula Farmers’ Cooperative Society centre in Lyantonde District on July 25.

During the rainy season, Mr Asiimwe produces up to 1,120 litres of milk every week, but the prolonged dry spells have affected milk production at his farm and currently produces only 400 litres.

“I am spending a lot of money on looking after these dairy cows, buying both water and pasture and if we fail to get rain in the coming weeks, I will lose some animals,” he predicts.

Some of the farmers in various cattle corridor districts say milk production has drastically gone down in the past months when dry spells set in, which has affected water sources and pasture. The dry spells have led to a spike in milk prices, but farmers say they still make little profits due to high expenses incurred.

Currently, the farm gate price per litre of milk in many districts is trading at between Shs1,000 and Shs2,000 up from Shs600 two months ago. A litre of processed milk is going for either Shs3,800 or Shs4,000, depending on the brand.

According to Mr Robert Kanyete, the chairperson of Rakai District Livestock Farmers Association, their members have lost many animals during the long spells and dealers are buying them cheaply.

“We sell some of the cattle that are starving at a very cheap price as low as Shs100,000,” he says.

Mr Naboth Mabega, a butcher at Kabungo Trading Centre in Ddyango Town Council, Rakai District, reveals that increased cases of starving animals has affected the prices of beef.

“In some villages where starving cattle are dying, a kilo of beef goes for Shs3,000, some animals are slaughtered when they have already died,” he says.

Mr Perezi Karamuzi, a resident of Maddu Sub-county in the Gomba District, says he has since lost 11 dairy cows due to prolonged dry spells, and this recently prompted him to start hiring a water bowser truck at a cost of Shs700,000 to fetch water from River Katonga every week.

“Milk production has drastically reduced to the extent that some farmers no longer sell milk and the little they get is consumed by their families,” he says.

Despite the reduction in milk production and supply, the demand had remained high, according to Mr Fred Kuhabwa of Ever Fresh Dairy /Bwera Farmers’ Cooperative Society, which has since dominated the milk market in Masaka.

 “The farm gate price of a litre of milk was Shs800 in May, but it has increased to Shs1,600. So, considering the high fuel prices and other expenses involved, we have been prompted to sell a litre at Shs2,300 in most of the urban centres around,” Mr Kuhabwa says.

Mr Enock Gumisiriza, the chairperson of Lugusulu Livestock Farmers Association in Sembabule District, says he took a painful decision to relocate his livestock to the neighbouring Lyantonde District where there is still some pasture and water for animals.

 “When we took the decision to relocate [to Lyantonde] in the first week of July, most of our livestock  suffered tick-borne related diseases and some have  since died, we can hardly observe routine spraying to prevent ticks and measures for our livestock,” he says.

A similar measure has been adopted by Mr Tom Superman Opwonya, a livestock farmer in Nambieso Sub-county in Kwania District, who relocated his cattle near the shores of Lake Kwania.

“Here [near Lake Kwania] water is in abundance, but we buy hay for our cattle. We used to get more than 20 litres of milk per day, but currently it has reduced to less than five litres,” he says.

 Mr David Agweno, a cattle keeper at Obalia Village, Ibuje Sub-county in Apac District, says his cattle have started dying due to inadequate water and pasture.

 “I have more than 200 head of cattle in my kraal, but I lost more than 10 calves and I believe it happened due to poor feeding,” he adds.

In Arua City, the prices of milk have gone up from Shs1,000 a cup to Shs1,200.

Ms Salma Abiko, a resident of Nsambya North Cell, Arua Central Division, says: “This is going to affect the breast feeding mothers who need milk supplement because we mainly depend on milk coming from Mbarara.”

  “If children are not fed well on milk, it will cause malnutrition which is bad for their health,” she adds.

 In Moyo District, Mr Adam Mamawi, the secretary for Production at Lefori Town Council, says water sources in the area have all dried up.

 “Our animals are starving, we don’t know what we can do and what kind of help we can get from the government over this matter,” he says.

 The cattle farmers, who are few in the West Nile Sub-region, have for a long time urged the government to construct valley dams in cattle rearing areas. This, the farmers say, would help in storage of water for animals.

 Mr Charles Adrawa Young, the assistant agriculture officer Lefori Sub-county, says animals are now surviving on leaves and others are destroying gardens in order to get food.

 “We advise cattle owners to control their animals from straying in people’s gardens in order to avoid conflicts,” he says.

 Although the dry season has not led to the death of domestic animals in Kigezi, the quantity of milk production has reduced leading to the increase in prices.

The vice chairperson for Kigezi Dairy Farmers Cooperative Society, Mr Francis Kateiguta, says while they used to get about 4,000 litres of milk every day during the rainy season, they currently receive only 2,500 litres.

“The price of a litre of milk has increased from Shs800 to Shs1,400 because of milk scarcity resulting from the dry season as the cows are not getting enough pastures, but we expect the situation to get better now that the rain has started in some areas,” Mr Kateiguta says.

The Uganda National Metrological Authority ( UNMA ) has since indicated that this month is likely to be characterised by enhanced rainfall in most parts of the country.

“The rainfall outlook for August indicates that areas of northern, eastern and parts of mid-western are likely to receive enhanced rainfall while the rest of the country is likely to receive occasional rainfall,” a weather outlook focus released at the weekend reads in part.

Mr Wilberforce Tigawalana, a livestock farmer   in Namasagali Sub-county, Kamuli District, says the milk production on his farm has dropped from three to two jerrycans per day.

“We have to maintain our customers who trust us with pure milk. What we have done is to increase the price per cup from Shs500 to Shs700,” he says.

To avoid more losses in future, Mr Obed Nayijuka, a cattle Keeper in Nyarubanga Ward, Mbarara City North, says they are planning to start planting pasture such as Napier grass (elephant grass), brachiaria mulato (Congo siginal grass or locally known as kifuta)  that can sustain them during dry spells.

“It is increasingly becoming difficult to sustain livestock farming without enough pasture. We have been looking for banana peelings to ensure our cattle survive, but now we are planning to plant our own grass,” he says.

Mr Steven Mugisha, a cattle farmer in Rwebishuri Ward, Mbarara City, says he has been buying water since June to feed his animals and the area only received some rain on August 1.

Source: Daily Monitor