Livestock Program

Thanks to the innovation and leadership of Max Rothschild, CSRL's livestock program has great potential. With the work of VEDCO, the program is supporting communities to integrate livestock management into farm production. Animal integration has helped farmers to take advantage of animal manure for enriching soil fertility and access to affordable animal feeds from crop production. This approach has offered income opportunities to farmers to depend on either enterprise in times of uncertainty. In addition, products from the livestock components supplement family diets by enhancing protein intakes.

The program has supported Rural Development Extentionists(RDEs) Community Nutrition and Health Workers (CNHWs) and model farmers to establish livestock demonstration sites for practical training sessions in animal health and husbandry. These trainings equip farmers with knowledge and skills in livestock management. Farmers select the type of livestock for demonstrations and thus far the program has supported pigs, poultry, and goats.

There has been an increase in farmers' incomes through the sale of livestock proceeds like piglets and eggs, and farmers have been able to pay school fees for their children and meet basic household needs. Livestock demonstrations have also increased community access to animal source protein for children. In addition, farmers use livestock as a form of savings.

Farmers who host the pilot piggery enterprises are expected to share the offspring with group members, giving out four female piglets to group members and making sure each of the four members gives out two female pigs to other group members. This allows for the benefits of livestock production to be spread to other members of the group.

CSRL Program Activities 2007: Livestock Breeding, Feeding, Health, and Marketing

Objectives:
  1. Promote the use of animal source protein in family diets
  2. Assist farmers to engage in livestock production as an income generating activity
  3. Understand existing and emerging livestock breeding, feeding, health, and marketing practices and systems in Uganda
  4. Provide periodic advice and technical assistance to improve livestock breeding, feeding, health, and marketing practices and systems, initially emphasizing pigs but later including chickens, sheep, and cattle
  5. Secure funding for project implementation, training, and applied research in collaboration with Makerere University, VEDCO and others active in this endeavor

Approach:
  1. Establish livestock demonstration and multiplication gardens at RDEs, CNHWs, and school farms on cost sharing basis
  2. Train farmers in livestock management
  3. Assist the government of Uganda and other stakeholders set up a livestock production, processing, and marketing chain

Resources:
  • Primary — Max Rothschild and James Reecy (ISU), Robert Wangoola (VEDCO's Veterinary Officer), VEDCO's Assistant Project Officers
  • Secondary — Makerere University, NAGRC&DB, other stakeholders in livestock industry

Activities:
  • 2005 — 6 livestock structures set up at RDEs' farms
  • 2006 — 20 livestock structures set up at RDE and CNHWs' farms
  • 2007 — Observed and examined government and larger seedstock farms
    • – Met with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) representative in Uganda to discuss development of proposals for genetic improvement of livestock in Uganda
    • – Evaluate possibilities for animal improvement projects with the Ugandan National Animal Genetic Resources Centre and Data Bank (NAGRC&DB)
    • – Met with pig producers, government officials and NGO individuals to develop a list of concerns and develop teams for grant writing

Outcomes:
  • 2006 — Presented topical seminars, appraisal of livestock breeding, feeding, and health
  • 2007 — Identified nutritional and management problems common to many pig herds
    • – Identified better pig breeding units for VEDCO to purchase pigs from for distribution
    • – Developed plan with NAGRC&DB and VEDCO for training fellowship application, a TC concept application for 2009 and expert visit application in 2008
    • – Helped organize session to develop grant writing and fund sources for several grants involving industry, VEDCO, Makerere University and government

Lessons Learned:
  1. Tremendous need and interest in improving livestock breeding, feeding, and health
  2. Difficulty in mobilizing effective and sustained participation of key stakeholders

Challenges & Questions:
  1. Underdeveloped markets for livestock products
  2. Lack of clear government policy on livestock production
  3. Livestock diseases especially Swine Fever
  4. High cost of feeds and drugs

February 2008 Activity Report

Read about recent activities and accomplishments and view photos of the work in Uganda.

Livestock Development in Schools


CSRL's partner, VEDCO, is working to implement a school program in six primary schools in the eastern region. The objectives of this program are to (1) supplement the school feeding program, (2) change the attitudes of pupils and teachers towards agriculture and (3) develop agricultural skills for both the teachers and the pupils. Animal integration is one of the strategies developed for achieving these objectives. A poultry enterprise was developed at Namasagali Primary School to supply animal protein (in the form of eggs) in the diets of students and to provide the opportunity for learning and appreciation of agriculture.

There is a plan for extending the same service to the other 5 primary schools (one of which, Kasambira, expressed interest in piggery). The objectives for Kasambira.s program are: to train pupils and teachers in piggery management, utilization of manure to improve crop yields (therefore supplementing the school feeding program), to provide a source of income for the school, to change the attitudes of teachers and pupils about agriculture and piggery, and to extend the knowledge and skills gained by the students in the classroom to their families and homes.

Whereas funds are available to construct and stock livestock units for the 2 schools participating in the service learning project (Namasagali and Nakanyonyi Primary Schools), Kasambira and the other 3 schools working with the main CSRL program do not have budgets for livestock units.

If you have interest or expertise and would like to become involved with any of the livestock activities of CSRL and its partners, please feel free to contact the Center.

To help the Center and its partners achieve their goals and improve the lives of rural children and farmers in Uganda please consider making a gift today. Every gift makes a difference in the lives of those living with hunger in rural Uganda.