The National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) is encouraging urban youth in West Nile to venture into goat farming, citing growing demand for goat meat in the region and neighbouring markets.
Victoria Tibenda Namulawa, a Senior Principal Research Officer at NARO, said the organisation is promoting the Mubende goat breed to increase production and participation of young people in the goat value chain.
"We have introduced the Mubende goat because we have observed that when youth come on board, West Nile communities will have more goats reared, more goats sold in the value-addition chain, and income, food security and employment will be earned," Namulawa said.
She was speaking at the conclusion of a four-year training programme for local farmers in the goat value chain at the Abi Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute in Arua City.
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Dr Kanifa Kamatara, a meat scientist at Makerere University, said demand for goat meat in West Nile is partly driven by the region's large Muslim population and its proximity to South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
She said the government-supported project seeks to improve climate resilience while increasing incomes and assets among urban youth and improving the livelihoods of livestock keepers.
"This project was designed by government with the title of increasing climate resilience, income and assets for urban youth to increase the livestock keeper's income and livelihood," Kamatara said.
Adam Jimmy Adroni, a young goat farmer from Madi-Okollo, encouraged other young people to consider goat farming, saying the enterprise can be practised even where land is limited.
"As we talk now, I have 40 female goats and I pay school fees for my two children using money from goat sales," Jimmy said.
Farouk Semwogerere, a Senior Research Officer at the Abi Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute, recommended the Mubende breed for urban farmers because of its relatively short gestation period and good meat production.
He said a mature goat can fetch up to Shs800,000, depending on its size and prevailing market conditions.
Semwogerere advised urban youth to adopt intensive production systems by growing their own pasture and keeping goats in controlled housing.
"For those in urban centres, you will have to do goat farming intensively by growing your own pastures and keeping the goats indoors. This will increase the goats' growth in a short time, enabling farmers to achieve maximum weight and profit," he said.
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Researchers say increased participation of young people in goat farming could create employment opportunities, boost household incomes and improve food security as demand for goat meat grows across West Nile and neighbouring markets.
