Kampala — Milk prices have gone up in most parts of the country due the long dry spell hitting the main producing regions.

Dairy farmers blame the situation on drought that has led to disappearing pasture and water shortages.

The price of fresh milk has increased from Ush1200 (US$0.45) per litre to as high as Ush2000 ($0.75) while that of pasteurized or packed milk has increased from Ush2200 ($0.83) to Ush3,000 ($1.13) in most supermarkets and milk collection centres.

Resty Kibuuka, a dairy farmer in Kawempe, said she was forced to increase on the intake of banana peels and sorghum husks to supplement the little and poor quality pastures which has not increased milk production per animal.

"Like individuals, animals too need a balanced diet and pasture helps a lot in boosting milk production. As farmers we continue to incur expenses which can only be covered through increasing the price of the final product," Kibuuka said. She added that even the maize bran that would substitute is priced highly due to drought and scarcity of maize.

A kilogram of maize bran currently costs Ush 450 up from Ush150 in the past four months which cannot sustain feeding dairy cattle.

Milk distributors are also crying foul as they can no longer supply the highly demanded product since farmers have also reduced supply.

"Trucks that used to carry up to 200 litres of milk to Kampala can only afford to bring 100 litres or even less yet demand keeps growing. Such quantities of milk only sustain the business until the situation gets back to normal as rains start falling," said Ronald Turinawe a milk dealer in Kampala.

Commenting about the trend in milk production, Dairy Development Authority (DDA) ED, Jolly Zaribwende, said production had fallen by about 35% due to the dry spell. And according to experts, the dry season is set to continue until September.

"Fresh pastures and water work to improve the reproductive efficiency of dairy animals as they are the main course in the diet of such breeds as other feeds work to supplement them. However there is hope for rains in the next month and hope production will get back to normal," Zaribwende said.

Consumers are left with no options as some have chosen to cut on milk consumption or feel the pinch of the high prices.

"We have had to give on milk consumption and leave it to only the babies as the earnings cannot make it up for such huge expenditures on only milk. Once prices get back to normal, consumption patterns shall also fall prey," Noeline Akello, a mother of five, said.

In the past month, supermarkets and milk retail centres locally known as dairy especially in Kampala, have been steadily increasing the prices without consumers making a point of it.