Contributions of livestock farming in Uganda

Positive contributiona

• It is a source of animal proteins/food for the people e.g. chicken from ugachick poultry in Gayaza, Beef from Mbarara for the people of Kampala.
• Provision of employment opportunities for example cattle keepersin Ankole.
• Prodivide raw materials to the industries such as milk processing industries.
• Source of income to the farmers in Kampala, Kayunga and so on.
• Animal dungs provide fertilizers that boost crop production
• Some animals/oxen are use for ploughing in Lira, Soroti etc.
• Some animals/cattle are used for transport in Lira, Soroti etc.
• Revenue generated by government from livestock products are used to develop infrastructure.
• Encourage development of urban areas
• Animal droppings are use for biogas production
• Animals are used to pay dowry.
• Promate development of research institution.
• Encourage foreign exchange earnings.
• Livestock attract tourists

Negative contributions

• Some livestock like cattle, goats, sheep destroy people’s crops e.g. in Soroti, Kumi etc.
• Livestock farming also account for environmental degredation through over grazing for example cattle in Karamoja region.
• The livestock sector is responsible for the spread of some diseases to human such as flatworms from goats and cattle meat in Kotido, Kampala and so on.
• Piggery in urban areas like mukono, Soroti, Kampala cause air pollution with the bad smell of their droppings.
• Child labour in the pastoral areas like Buliisa, Nakasongola, Moroto discourage children from attending classes.
• Some livestock like cattle are dangerous to peoples lives.
• Nomadic pastoralism in Moroto and other places lead to land conflicts.