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President Museveni urged Ugandan dairy farmers to shift focus from liquid milk to processed products like casein and powdered milk for the international market. The President emphasized the importance of value addition, commended past successes, and expressed hope for a new Anti-tick vaccine’s effectiveness.

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni appealed to dairy farmers to put more emphasis on producing casein and powdered milk to benefit from the lucrative international market.

The President made the appeal on Tuesday, January 2^nd 2024, while meeting a group of dairy farmers from Kazo and Kiruhura districts at Karo Primary School in Nshwere, Kiruhura District.

“Shifting focus from liquid milk to processed products for export is crucial. This is something that you must take seriously,” stated President Museveni, highlighting the products’ potential for longevity and better prices in the global markets.

President emphasized that exploring the international demand is essential.

“We need to meet the external market requirements. Liquid milk is heavy in nature and very costly for exportation but if you take time and process it into powdered milk, it becomes light and less expensive, this I can assure you,” he urged.

Reflecting on past successes in the dairy industry, President Museveni lauded the transformation achieved by farmers who embraced strategic changes, including zero grazing.

He further revealed that Uganda’s dairy industry has grown tremendously, and it was time to tackle the challenge of an insufficient market for milk products.

“I am very glad that a section of Banyankore in 1966 heard our message even when we were young, and we were talking to our elders. We told them to stop shifting from one place to another in a bid to run away from diseases of foot and mouth and ticks, they listened and now they are earning big. We also advised them to embrace zero grazing other than free range; that worked perfectly for them. Today, I want you to look at the bigger picture which currently is the external market,” he said.

In addition, President Museveni emphasized the importance of value addition for dairy farmers and expressed hope for the progress being made by scientists in creating a vaccine against ticks, which could revolutionize the way livestock are treated.

“I have no doubt that this new medication will work. He went on, “If it is successful, it will be publicly and formally legalized for use.”

Additionally, President Museveni emphasized that it should be the responsibility of local government representatives to educate the public about environmental protection.

Frank Tumwebaze, the minister of agriculture, reported encouraging news regarding the effectiveness of the locally created Anti-tick vaccine, stating that it is 88% effective.

“I would like to notify you, the farmers, that the vaccine’s final trials have been completed and it is currently 88% effective. This is a significant increase over the sole vaccine from Cuba, which was only 50% commercialized, he stated.

Among those in attendance were Nyabushozi County MP Wilson Kajwengye, the executive director of the Dairy Development Authority, Rev. Canon Stephen Namanya, the bishop of the North Ankole Diocese, and others.