1 November 2008
editorial
Kampala — DURING his recent visit to Kenya, President Yoweri Museveni invited the family of the late Kenyan leader, Jomo Kenyatta, to invest in Uganda's dairy sector.
The family owns Brookside Dairy Ltd, the biggest dairy enterprise in East and Central Africa, producing a wide range of dairy products.
Their entry into Uganda would be a major boost to the local dairy industry, which has a lot of potential that is yet to be exploited. Currently, there are about 7 million heads of cattle in Uganda capable of meeting the country's dairy needs.
However, the country's annual average milk consumption rate currently stands at about 25 litres per person, which is far below the Food and Agricultural Organisation's recommended 200 litres.
There is no milk shortage in Uganda. What is lacking is an efficient system to link milk producers to consumers.
Since its liberalisation in 1994, the diary sector has registered some progress, attracting both local and foreign investors, who have set up modern production and processing facilities.
The creation of the Dairy development Authority (DDA) in 2000 also helped to restore some form of order in the sector, which had attracted many unscrupulous dealers, following its liberalisation.
But in spite of all this effort, the dairy sector continues to be dominated by unprocessed or crudely processed diary products, which pose a big a health risk to the consumers.
There is still room for investment in dairy. That is why Brookside Dairy Ltd should take up Museveni's invitation, enter the Uganda market and spur it up with their experience and international exposure.
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