Farmers benefiting from the Parish Development Model (PDM) have applauded the National Animal Genetic Resources Centre and Data Bank (NAGRC&DB) for supplying them with high-quality dairy heifers, piglets and improved poultry chicks, saying the animals are helping them improve household incomes and transition from subsistence to commercial farming.
The farmers said the improved livestock breeds supplied through NAGRC&DB have given them an opportunity to increase milk, meat and egg production while building sustainable sources of household income.
The praise comes as NAGRC&DB prepares to scale up the supply of improved dairy heifers, poultry and piglets to PDM beneficiaries across the country.
The expansion is part of the agency’s plans for the 2026/2027 financial year, which are aimed at increasing farmers’ access to improved animal genetics, boosting livestock productivity and supporting smallholder farmers to embrace commercial agriculture.
The plans were unveiled during a two-day strategic retreat held in Entebbe on August 6 and 7, where the NAGRC&DB Board of Directors and management reviewed priorities for the coming financial year.
The retreat was anchored on the National Animal Breeding Strategy and Action Plan, which seeks to commercialise animal breeding, improve livestock productivity and conserve Uganda’s indigenous genetic resources across the dairy, beef, goat, pig, poultry and fish value chains.
NAGRC&DB Board Chairperson Ben Anyama said the agency would intensify mass breeding and multiplication programmes to increase the availability of high-performing and climate-smart breeds.
“The National Animal Breeding Strategy is focusing on enhancing commercialization of breeding, boosting livestock productivity, and conserving indigenous genetic resources across dairy, beef, pigs, poultry, and fish value chains,” Anyama said.
He said the strategy would ensure that improved genetics are accessible to farmers at different levels.
“This is not just about increasing numbers; it is about ensuring that every farmer, regardless of scale, can access superior genetics,” Anyama added.
PDM beneficiaries set to receive more improved livestock
The increased production and distribution of livestock is expected to strengthen NAGRC&DB’s collaboration with PDM by enabling more rural households to access improved animals for income generation.
The agency says it has aligned its operations with the PDM programme to ensure that improved breeds and technical services reach farmers at the grassroots.
Through community-based animal breeding programmes, NAGRC&DB is also increasing technical support for smallholder farmers in areas such as genetic selection, artificial insemination, disease control and modern animal husbandry.
The approach has already been implemented in parts of the Busoga sub-region and cattle corridor, where farmers are being organised into breeding societies and trained in modern breeding practices.
Kasolwe becomes livestock multiplication hub
At the Kasolwe Stock Farm, NAGRC&DB has invested in livestock breeding, animal feeds and forage production as part of its strategy to increase the supply of improved breeds.
The farm, which covers more than a square mile, has extensive areas dedicated to animal forage production, including grasses, hay, energy-rich maize and protein supplements.
Kasolwe has also emerged as a centre for multiplication of improved animal breeds, including the Kasolwe Brown goat, developed through NAGRC&DB’s genetic improvement programmes.
According to Dr Katali Benda, NAGRC&DB programme officer for small ruminants, the Kasolwe Brown goat is drought-tolerant, grows rapidly and is relatively resistant to diseases commonly affecting goats.
He said females can weigh up to 65 kilogrammes at maturity, while males can reach up to 75 kilogrammes.
The goats can also produce multiple kids, with some capable of producing up to four kids a year, making them attractive to farmers seeking to rapidly expand their herds.
More poultry, pigs and improved cattle
NAGRC&DB has also intensified the multiplication of improved poultry and pig breeds for distribution to farmers.
In the Busoga sub-region alone, the agency says it has distributed more than 500,000 improved Kuroiler chicks, 10,000 crossbred bulls, 5,000 pigs and 165 Kasolwe Brown goats.
The improved dual-purpose Kuroiler birds can produce between 150 and 200 eggs annually, compared with about 40 eggs from many indigenous chickens, while reaching a market weight of approximately two to 3.5 kilogrammes within five months.
The agency has also intensified artificial insemination services. Over the past two years, more than 10,000 cattle in the Busoga sub-region have been inseminated, contributing to improvements in herd quality and milk production.
NAGRC&DB currently produces and distributes improved semen and liquid nitrogen to farmers across the country to support genetic improvement.
Focus on animal feeds and farmer training
NAGRC&DB is also strengthening livestock productivity through investments in animal feed production.
The agency said its heavy-duty feed production machinery at Kasolwe is producing compounded feeds for poultry, pigs and dairy cattle.
Community-based breeding programmes are also expected to give farmers greater access to practical training in artificial insemination, disease control and genetic selection.
The agency says subsidised access to superior genetics will enable farmers to increase milk, meat and egg production and consequently improve household incomes.
NAGRC&DB’s emphasis on indigenous and climate-smart breeds is also expected to help farmers cope with changing climatic conditions while maintaining livestock productivity.
Women and youth targeted
The agency says women, youth and persons with disabilities will be prioritised in the livestock transformation agenda.
Improved access to livestock breeds, technical training and breeding services is expected to create opportunities for vulnerable and previously underserved groups while strengthening household incomes.
The livestock sector remains an important component of Uganda’s agricultural economy. Data from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics cited during the retreat indicate that livestock supports about 71 per cent of Ugandan households and contributes approximately 4.5 per cent of the country’s GDP.
Within agriculture, livestock accounts for about 17 per cent of agricultural GDP, with dairy alone contributing an estimated 40 to 50 per cent of livestock’s contribution.
Shs56.96 billion investment in breeding infrastructure
The expansion of livestock breeding programmes comes amid increased government investment in animal genetic resources.
In March 2026, Parliament endorsed a Shs56.96 billion investment in livestock breeding infrastructure, including the Bukedea and Serere breeding centres, under the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV).
The investment is expected to support mass multiplication of improved breeds, restocking programmes and community-based breeding initiatives.
For NAGRC&DB, the strategy is to combine improved genetics, farmer training, animal feeds and community-based breeding to increase livestock productivity and enable more Ugandan households to benefit from commercial farming.
The planned increase in the supply of PDM dairy heifers, poultry chicks and piglets is therefore expected to widen access to improved livestock and strengthen Uganda’s drive towards household income growth, food security and commercial agriculture.
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