The contribution of the Eastern Africa Agricultural Productivity

Project in improving smallholder dairy cattle production in Uganda

1Lukwago, G., 2Kabirizi J., 2Kirunda H., & 2Oluka J.

1EAAPP-PCU, Entebbe2National Livestock Resources Research

Institute

Introduction

Agriculture and Africa’s development

Agricultural growth in Africa must remain high (on the order of 6% annually) and derive from enhanced productivity if the sector is to contribute to growth, structural change, and poverty reduction.

The Agricultural sector is characterized by low productivity.

The Eastern Africa Agricultural Productivity Project (EAAPP) addresses the constraints related to low productivity in cassava, wheat, rice and dairy in the project countries of Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Ethiopia.

EAAPP goal and objectives

EAAPP Goal  

The overall goal of EAAPP is to contribute to increased agricultural productivity and growth.

Objective

To strengthen and scale up regional cooperation in generation of technology, training, and dissemination programs for regional priority commodities.

Specific objectives

Enhance regional specialization in agricultural research;

Increase regional collaboration in agricultural training and dissemination; and,

Facilitate increased sharing of agricultural information, knowledge and technology across national boundaries.

EAAPP-Uganda Dairy Component

The major constraints affecting dairy production in Uganda are inadequate feeds and poor feeding systems, reproductive inefficiency, poor breeds, breeding programmes and policies; and diseases and the associated vectors.

EAAPP has addressed these constraints through the project’s 3 components namely Capacity building, Technology generation, training and dissemination; and improved availability of livestock germplasm

Component 2 Technology Generation

Outcomes

Number of Napier grass varieties tolerant to Napier stunt disease developed.

Genetically improved cattle lines for higher milk and meat yields available among the farming communities.

Increased milk yields of better quality realized among dairy farming communities.

Improved dairy health achieved due to novel tick control technologies

Component 2 Technology Generation

Outputs

Napier grass varieties tolerant to NSD developed & promoted.

Dairy cattle production systems characterized

Association between genetic characteristics & milk production traits among different cattle populations in Uganda established.

Milk production capacity of local cattle populations through selection & crossbreeding improved.

Mastitis, milk-borne zoonoses and drug residues in milk better controlled.

Appropriate ticks and tick-borne diseases control technologies developed and promoted.

Sub component 2.2: Technology Dissemination

Promising technologies of priority enterprises promoted.

Institutions involved in innovation platforms developed and strengthened.

Product development and value addition in primary and secondary processing promoted.

New learning platforms established and existing ones strengthened.

Advisory services/extension strengthened

Component 3: Availability of Planting Materials, seeds and livestock breeding

materials

Outcomes

Number of straws of semen produced and distributed.

Number of straws of embryos produced.

Number of breeding dairy cattle (heifers and bull) produced.

Number of dairy breeders trained.

Number of farmers implementing herd recording (registry).

Number of AI technicians trained and operational.

Component 3: Availability of Planting Materials, seeds and livestock breeding

materials

Outputs

Exchange of breeding materials in form of semen, embryos and live animals fostered.

Pilot herd recording registries established and equipped.

Record keeping at dairy farms revived and backstopped.

Performance of dairy herds in the different production zones established and documented.

Sub-component 3.3: Support to harmonization of policies and

regulations

Dairy breeding guidelines to guide the dairy breeders in proper breeding methodology in place.

An inventory of dairy breeders by breed category in place.

Skills and knowledge in improved production and productivity of dairy animals acquired by technical staff.

Dairy breeders backstopped and supported in their dairy breeding activities.

Outcome 1: Number of Napier grass varieties tolerant to Napier stunt

disease developedKey Output

Screen and promote promising Napier grass varieties tolerant to Napier Stunt Disease (NSD) and alternative forages such as Bracharia spp .

Progress:

Uganda acquired 22 Napier grass clones that are tolerant to NSD from Dairy RCoE, Kenya.

Four clones: 16702, 16805, Kakamega 1 and Kakamega 2 have showed high tolerance to NSD and high biomass yield ranging from 3.5 -6.6 tons/ha of DM/harvest and have therefore been recommended for dissemination to farmers.

Progress contd

Sowing 0.5 ha of napier grass with Centrosema melle and 0.5 ha of a mixture of Brachiaria mulato and Clitoria ternatea increases milk yield by over 80%; intercropping napier grass with Clitoria ternatea significantly improves fodder yield and feeding (Kabirizi et al 2013).

Progress contd

Empowering farmers in Pastures and forages

EAAPP has empowered 2378 smallholder farmers and other stakeholders (1450 female) in Masaka, Mbarara, Kiruhura, Soroti, Kampala, Wakiso, Mukono, Gulu and Jinja districts.

Knowledge in Napier grass establishment and management, Napier stunt disease control/management methods have been disseminated and demonstrated.

Outcome 2: Genetically improved cattle lines for higher milk and meat yields

available among the farming communities.

Key output:

Milk production capacity of local cattle populations through selection and crossbreeding improved.

Progress:

Synchronized breeding has been undertaken on selected local animals in Eastern and Western Uganda using exotic breeds semen.

Over 345 zebu cows have been inseminated with jersey semen through Open Nucleus Breeding Scheme and Community Based Breeding Scheme development.

EAAPP is revitalizing artificial insemination in Uganda.

21 Artificial Insemination technicians have been trained and equipped in 11 districts.

Direct interaction and sensitization on selection, breeding, record keeping and husbandry practices was conducted for 700 farmers’ fields and with stakeholders.

An additional 317 farmers (92 female and 225 male) have been sensitized on breed characteristics.

Outcome 3: Genetically improved cattle lines for higher milk and meat yields

available among the farming communities.

Key output Milk production capacity of local cattle populations through selection and crossbreeding improved.

Progress

EAAPP imported 134 heads of cattle 6 herds of pure exotic cows (Friesian, Ayrshire, Guernsey, Jersey, Sahiwal, and Brown Swiss) to enable establish pure nucleus herds. They have currently been inseminated with sexed semen.

21 offspring have been delivered.

Pure breeds will be produced and accessed by breeders.

Outcome 4: Improved dairy health achieved due to novel tick control

technologiesKey output

Development and promotion of appropriate ticks- and tick-borne diseases control technologies .

Progress

Partial characterization using 7 simple sequence repeats with two clusters classified based on genetic variations of single nucleotide polymorphisms between T. parva strains detected in the different regions.

Information on prevalence of ECf in Uganda has been updated through determination of molecular prevalence of T. parva.

The prevalence is highest in South Western Highlands (47%), Pastoral Rangelands (45%) and Western Savannah Grasslands (40%). These were followed by North West Savannah Grasslands (38%) and Kyoga Plains (35%). Prevalence was 15%in Lake Victoria Crescent and (14%) in North Eastern Dry lands.

Five local strains of Enteroheamorrhagic E. coli have been isolated and the level of contamination of milk with E. coli determined based on the number of colony forming units  of E. coli organisms per 100 ml of milk.

In order to generate information necessary to support strategic use of ECf vaccine in Uganda, the prevalence of a 3-host tick to Amblyomma variegatum was determined.

This tick, along with Rhipicephalus appendiculatus has much influence on the frequency of acaricide application in strategic control of ECf using Muguga cocktail vaccine.

Factors influencing acaricide failure have also been determined. Nine factors have been associated with acaricide resistance on farms in 8 out of the 10 AEZs of Uganda.

These include: gender of farmer, age of farmer, grazing system, method of acaricide application, source of acaricide, class of acaricide used, procedure of acaricide reconstitution, method of restraint of cattle during acaricide application and access to extension/advisory services (unpublished findings).

Five local strains of Enteroheamorrhagic E. coli have been isolated and the level of contamination of milk with E. coli determined based on the number of colony forming units  of E. coli organisms per 100 ml of milk.

Conclusion

There has been significant contribution of EAAPP to development of the dairy sub-sector in Uganda through redress of feeds and feeding systems and promotion of improved dairy breeds.

Acknowledgements

Govts of Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Tanzania

ASARECA

World Bank

Dairy RCoEs

Other RCoE

MAAIF

EAAPP Implementing Units

NaLIRRI

NAGRC&DB

Famer Groups.