ENTEBBE — Thousands of farmers participating in Uganda’s Parish Development Model (PDM) are set to benefit from improved access to quality dairy cattle, pigs and poultry breeding stock under a new five-year plan by the National Animal Genetic Resources Centre and Data Bank (NAGRC&DB).
The agency says it will expand the breeding and multiplication of productive, farmer-preferred livestock and make high-performance breeding stock available to PDM farmers at highly subsidised prices.
The initiative is aimed at helping households establish productive livestock enterprises, increase incomes and transition from subsistence production into the money economy.
The intervention is contained in NAGRC&DB’s Strategic and Investment Plan for 2025/26 to 2029/30, one of five institutional documents launched at the agency’s headquarters in Entebbe.
Minister of State for Animal Industry, Hon. Bright Kanyontore Rwamirama, who launched the documents, challenged NAGRC&DB to ensure the new plans result in tangible benefits for farmers.
“The value of these documents will not be measured by the launch today,” Rwamirama said, urging staff, management, the Board and partners to focus on implementation and results.
Under the plan, NAGRC&DB will prioritise the breeding and multiplication of productive dairy and beef cattle, goats, pigs, poultry and fish.
The agency’s farms and ranches will serve as breeding, multiplication and technology-transfer hubs, working with local governments, farmer organisations and PDM structures to reach beneficiaries.
Farmers will also be supported with technical guidance on breeding, feeding and enterprise management to ensure they can maximise the productivity of the animals.
Particular emphasis will be placed on dairy, piggery and poultry enterprises, which are among the key livestock activities through which households can generate regular income.
The agency will monitor implementation by tracking the livestock breeds and poultry genetic resources introduced, multiplied and made available to PDM farmers.
The initiative will be implemented alongside the Uganda National Animal Breeding Strategy and Action Plan (NABSAP), which seeks to address persistent challenges in the livestock sector, including low genetic productivity, weak breeding infrastructure and limited access to quality breeding materials.
NABSAP also promotes climate-resilient genetics while providing for the conservation of Uganda’s indigenous animal genetic resources.
NAGRC&DB will also prioritise production of quality and affordable animal feeds and strengthen its institutional capacity to improve service delivery.
Eng. Robert Ssenozi, a NAGRC&DB Board member representing farmers in the Central Region, said the new framework should be viewed as an opportunity to transform Uganda’s livestock industry.
He described the launch as “launching possibilities”, linking the agency’s work to commercialisation of animal breeding and increased livestock productivity.
The initiative supports the broader PDM objective of increasing household incomes and moving subsistence households into the money economy.
For farmers, the ultimate measure of the programme will be whether quality breeding stock becomes more accessible and affordable and whether improved genetics translate into higher production, increased incomes and sustainable livestock enterprises.
