NAGRC&DB lights up Buganda Trade and Agricultural Expo 2024

The National Animal Genetic Resources Center and Data Bank – NAGRC&DB have awed the Katikiro of Buganda, Oweek Charles Peter Mayiga with Modern Faming techniques meant to uplift lives of the people especially those living in the Central region.

This was during the Buganda Tourism and Agricultural Expo that is ongoing at Bulange Mengo in Kampala.

The Institution, mandated to fulfilling the aspirations in the National Animal Breeding Policy (1997), while building an Action Plan for its implementation providing guidelines to all actors in the animal breeding and production value-chain.

The actors included input suppliers, farmers, companies, researchers, extension workers and civic leaders on suitable breeds for the various ecological and production systems. It also provided for alternative breeding programmes; import, export and trade in genetic materials; breeding and management systems for conservation and sustainable use of indigenous genetic resources and use of modern breeding technologies in the country.

In a twofold mandate upon establishment the institution plays a leading role in commercialization of animal breeding activities in Uganda and to carry out development activities that enhance animal Genetic improvement and productivity.

In the Mengo Palace, NAGRC&DB lit up the exhibition with a variety of diary cattle, piggery and animal feed enterprises.

The institution also elaborated on varias community-based breeding programs and activities that are designed and implemented by smallholder farmers individually or in cooperation with technical stakeholders to effect genetic improvement within their livestock.

Livestock keeping communities are heavily involved in determining the breeding objectives and selecting parents of the future generation.

Communities are guided by animal geneticists/scientists as they carry out their “own breeding”. Use is made of modern genetic selection tools like genomics.

The CBBP is envisaged to increase the productivity and profitability of livestock in Uganda without necessarily undermining their resilience and genetic integrity, and without expensive interventions.

“By aggressively involving the livestock owners at parish level in the program, livestock improvement will be achieved quickly and cost effectively.”

The exhibition is expected to end on Sunday August 25th.

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