The dairy processing industry in Uganda is young, rapidly growing, and vibrant. [1]
It was first estimated that livestock contributed 1.7 percent to total national GDP in 2009. That estimate was later revised to about 3.2 percent. [2] By 2014, that contribution had risen to 9 percent of national GDP. [1]
The cattle kept are predominantly indigenous breeds, accustomed to the weather and husbandry practices as practiced by the herder communities, conditions that many exotic breeds could not withstand. Exotic breeds have been introduced, but the majority of farms have mixed breeds, whose productivity, although higher than the traditional breeds, does not match that of the exotics. [1]
According to the government Dairy Development Authority (DDA), in October 2018, annual national milk output stood at 2.2 billion liters, [3] up from 1.8 billion liters annually, as of July 2012. [1] As of 2017, per capita milk consumption in Uganda stood at 62 liters, up from 25 liters in 1986. [3] 80 percent of the milk produced is marketed while 20 percent is consumed by the farming households. [3] 33 percent of the marketed milk is processed, while 67 percent is sold as raw milk. [3]
By June 2019, annual milk production in the country had risen to 2.4 billion liters, with export earnings from the sector, bringing in US$100 million per year. However, the earning potential could increase to US$500 million annually, if the country would control the high death rates in exotic cattle, attributable to tick-borne diseases, and resistance of the ticks to available acaricides. [4] As of December 2021, the country produced 2.81 billion liters of milk annually. 800 million liters were consumed within Uganda, with over 2 billion liters available for export annually. During the 2019/2020 financial year, Uganda earned US$131.5 million, from milk exports. [5] [6] [7] As of December 2022, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), as reported by the Daily Monitor, Uganda's annual milk output amounted to 3.2 billion liters. [8]
In January 2024, Ugandan media reported than annual milk production in the country had increased to 3.85 billion litres annually. In the twelve months until then, milk exports had fetched US$264.5 million (approx. UGX:1 trillion), compared to US$102.6 million (approx. UGX:388 billion), in the twelve months before that. [9] By June 2024, the Ugandan head of state estimated the annual milk production at 5.3 billion liters annually, with annual national consumption estimated at 800 million liters. [10]
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
2012 | 1.8 | — |
2018 | 2.2 | +22.2% |
2019 | 2.4 | +9.1% |
2021 | 2.8 | +16.7% |
2022 | 3.2 | +14.3% |
2023 | 3.9 | +21.9% |
2024 | 5.3 | +35.9% |
source: [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] |
Dairy farming is a major activity in the southwestern, central, and northeastern parts of the country, with the sector contributing significantly to the economic, nutritional, and employment opportunities of the rural communities in those areas. Uganda's Central and Western Regions account for about 50 percent of national milk production. This production is predictable and available all year round. During the dry season, the northern, northeastern, and eastern parts of the country experience a drastic reduction in milk output. [1]
In 1998, the Ugandan Parliament promulgated the Dairy Industry Act, which created the Dairy Development Authority (DDA), the new industry regulator. DDA started its operations in 2000. The erstwhile national monopoly known as the National Dairy Corporation was privatized in 2006 [1] as part of Brookside Dairy Limited from Kenya. The Ugandan government maintains a minority shareholding. [11]
From 1993 to 2006, fifteen medium to large scale processing plants were licensed. As of August 2017, total national installed capacity was about 1,400,000 liters per day. [12] The major milk processing companies in Uganda included the following: [1] [13] [14]
As of June 2023 [update] , according to The EastAfrican, Uganda's dairy products are marketed to a number of countries including Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Kenya, Ethiopia, Japan, United Arab Emirates, Tanzania among others. In addition, Algeria was in the process of negotiating the purchase of 1.4 billion liters of milk annually from Uganda. [23] [24] Other destination markets for Uganda's milk products include Bangladesh, Malawi, United States, Syria, South Sudan and Zambia. [25] As of December 2023, Uganda was actively negotiating with Indonesia, Serbia and Senegal to see if any one of them would consider buying Uganda's milk. [26] In September 2024, Ugandan online media reported that Nigeria had intentions of importing some of Uganda's estimated 5.7 billion liters produced annually. [27]
Kiruhura District is a district in the Western Region of Uganda. The town of Rushere is the site of the district headquarters.
Burning of renewable resources provides approximately 90 percent of the energy in Uganda, though the government is attempting to become energy self-sufficient. While much of the hydroelectric potential of the country is untapped, the government decision to expedite the creation of domestic petroleum capacity coupled with the discovery of large petroleum reserves holds the promise of a significant change in Uganda's status as an energy-importing country.
Uganda's favorable soil conditions and climate have contributed to the country's agricultural success. Most areas of Uganda have usually received plenty of rain. In some years, small areas of the southeast and southwest have averaged more than 150 millimeters per month. In the north, there is often a short dry season in December and January. Temperatures vary only a few degrees above or below 20 °C but are moderated by differences in altitude.
Before Uganda's independence in 1962, the main banks in Uganda were Barclays ; Grindlays, Standard Bank and the Bank of Baroda from India. The currency was issued by the East African Currency Board, a London-based body. In 1966, the Bank of Uganda (BoU), which controlled the issue of currency and managed foreign exchange reserves, became the central bank and national banking regulator. The government-owned Uganda Commercial Bank and the Uganda Development Bank were launched in the 1960s. The Uganda Development Bank is a state-owned development finance institution, which channeled loans from international sources into Ugandan enterprises and administered most of the development loans made to Uganda.
I&M Bank Uganda, formerly Orient Bank, whose complete name is I&M Bank (Uganda) Limited, is a commercial bank in Uganda which is licensed by the Bank of Uganda (BOU), the central bank and national banking regulator.
Umeme Limited is the largest energy distributor in Uganda, distributing about 97 percent of all electricity used in the country. The shares of the stock of the company are listed on the Uganda Securities Exchange (USE) and are cross listed on the Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE). As of December 2023, the company's total assets were approximately UGX:2.347 trillion, with shareholders' equity of approximately UGX:937.381 billion.
Hima Cement Limited (HCL) is a cement manufacturer in Uganda. It is a subsidiary of the Sarrai Group, a diversified manufacturing conglomerate headquartered in Uganda with subsidiaries in Uganda, Kenya and Malawi.
The Uganda Oil Refinery is a planned crude oil refinery in Kabaale village, on the Eastern shore of Lake Albert along the Hoima–Kaiso–Tonya Road, Buseruka Sub-county, Hoima District, Western Region, Uganda, near the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It has been planned since 2010. Community opposition was repressed early on. After 5 years of negotiations the Albertine Graben Refinery Consortium (AGRC) formed in 2018 and agreed to design and build the refinery.
The Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC), also known as the National Oil Company of Uganda, is a limited liability petroleum company in Uganda owned by the Ugandan government. The 2013 Petroleum Act of Uganda provides for the establishment of the national oil company. UNOC's board of directors was inaugurated on 23 October 2015 by the president of Uganda.
Nile Breweries Limited (NBL) is the leading beer manufacturer in Uganda.
Brookside Dairy Limited, often referred to as Brookside Dairies, is a dairy processing company in Kenya, the largest economy in the East African Community. The company offers fresh pasteurized milk, cream, butter, yogurt, ghee, and long life milk products in Indian Ocean Islands, East Africa, Rwanda and Burundi. It provides products through distribution depots, agents, and sub agents to outlets in East Africa.
The East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), also known as the Uganda–Tanzania Crude Oil Pipeline (UTCOP), is a 1,443 km crude oil pipeline in planning since 2013, with a foundation stone nominally under construction since 2017, and is intended to transport crude oil from Uganda's Tilenga and Kingfisher oil fields to the Port of Tanga, Tanzania on the Indian Ocean.
Pearl Dairy Farms Limited, often referred to as Pearl Dairy, is a dairy processing company in Uganda.
Amos Dairies Uganda Limited, also Amos Dairies, is a dairy processing company in Uganda. It is a subsidiary of Amos Dairies Limited, an Indian company with headquarters in New Delhi, India.
Vital Tomosi Dairy Limited is a dairy processing company in Uganda. The company is a joint venture between Vital Capital Fund, "an impact investing fund primarily focused on Sub-Saharan Africa", and "Tomosi Dairy Farms, a Ugandan producer of dairy products".
GBK Dairy Products Limited, often referred to as GBK Dairy, is a dairy processing company in Uganda.
Uganda is the largest producer of granular brown sugar in the East African Community, accounting for about 500,000 metric tonnes annually as of May 2017. By 2021, national annual sugar output had increased to about 600,000 metric tonnes of brown sugar and 60,000 metric tonnes of industrial sugar. In October 2022, it was projected that the country would produce 822,000 metric tonnes in calendar year 2022. Of that, about 720,000 metric tonnes would be brown table sugar and about 102,000 metric tonnes would be white industrial sugar.
Mahathi Fuel Transport and Storage Depot is a privately-owned inland, lakeside fuel transport and storage depot in Uganda. Gasoline, kerosene, diesel-fuel and Jet A1 are delivered by ship from Kisumu, across Lake Victoria in neighboring Kenya. The fuel is stored here and conveyed by truck to final destinations in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan, significantly cutting down delivery times and transport costs.
Pearl Dairies Honey Factory, is a honey-processing plant under construction in Uganda.