KAMPALA — Uganda has reduced its dependence on imported poultry feeds by nearly 80 percent following increased investment in local feed production, Minister of State for Animal Industry Bright Rwamirama has said.
Rwamirama said the reduction demonstrates the growing capacity of Uganda’s poultry industry and the potential for the country to become a regional hub for poultry production.
He made the remarks while launching the inaugural Uganda Poultry Show 2026 at the Uganda Manufacturers Association (UMA) show grounds in Lugogo, Kampala.
Rwamirama said Uganda currently has an estimated 120 million poultry birds, including commercial and backyard birds, making the sector a major contributor to employment, household incomes, nutrition and food security.
Minister also launched the Uganda Poultry Handbook, a guide designed to provide farmers with practical information on poultry production and help strengthen the entire poultry value chain.
He urged investors to increase investment in key areas including quality parent stock, hatcheries, biosecurity, feed production and veterinary services.
He also announced that new guidelines governing the importation of poultry genetic materials from recognized compartments that are free of highly pathogenic avian influenza will be released next week.
According to Rwamirama, the guidelines are intended to facilitate safe and scientifically regulated trade in poultry genetic materials while protecting the country from the spread of avian influenza.
Peter Senkungu, Chairman of the Poultry Association of Uganda and a poultry scientist and nutritionist, said the poultry show 2026, provides an opportunity for farmers, breeders, input suppliers and other players to work together to address challenges facing the industry.
Senkungu said Uganda’s poultry sector has made significant technological and productivity gains over the past two decades, although more investment and cooperation are needed to achieve the sector’s full potential.
He identified the shortage and high cost of key feed ingredients, particularly maize and soya, as one of the biggest challenges facing the industry.
“Maize is a key source of energy, while soya is an important protein source,” Senkungu said, noting that local production of the two crops has not grown at the same pace as demand from the poultry industry.
As a result, Uganda is forced to import maize and soya from countries including Malawi, Zambia and Ethiopia, which can increase production costs and create concerns over quality and supply.
Senkungu called on the government to support farmers to increase production of maize and soya, saying the growing poultry industry provides a ready market for the crops.
He said the poultry show will also provide farmers with access to training from veterinary and technical experts on issues affecting production, including feed optimisation, disease prevention and farm management.
Senkungu welcomed the government’s planned guidelines on poultry genetic materials, saying access to quality breeds and chicks is critical to the survival and growth of the industry.
He said restrictions on imports from countries affected by avian influenza had disrupted access to some poultry genetic materials over the past two years.
Senkungu said the new approach, developed through consultations between the government, scientists and industry players, could help ease the shortage while maintaining safeguards against the spread of disease.
He said quality chicks and breeding stock form the foundation of the poultry business, adding that farmers, breeders and commercial poultry operators cannot expand production without reliable access to quality genetic materials.
