- To the relief of the Ugandan milk processors, the Zambian market has opened for Ugandan milk.
- Kenya was the largest market for Uganda’s milk exports.
- But since the last three years, the milk exports ran into problems when Kenyan authorities seized at least 3,000 bags of powdered milk and packets of Lato Milk on claims that Uganda had smuggled the products into the country without paying taxes.
Kenya was the largest market for Uganda’s milk exports. But since last three years, the milk exports ran into problems when Kenyan authorities seized at least 3,000 bags of powdered milk and packets of Lato Milk on claims that Uganda had smuggled the products into the country without paying taxes. The impasse has remained unresolved since then plunging the milk prices and affecting hundreds of people in the trade. The milk prices crashed from Shs 750 per litre to Shs 250 per litre.
To the relief of the Ugandan milk processors, the Zambian market has opened for Ugandan milk. Addressing milk processors, Frank Tumwebaze, the minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries in Mbarara, called for quality testing of Ugandan milk before closing off their markets as the country followed international standards and its products had ISO certification.He added that the unnecessary trade wars without evidence are a development hindrance in the region.
According to statistics from the Dairy Development Authority, milk production in Uganda has crossed from 2.5 billion litres in 2018 to 2.8 billion litres in 2020. Dairy exports were over Shs 341 billion in the last four years.
