Uganda gains in animal rearing and farming – UBOS

By; Charles Katabalwa

23^rd October 2019

Farming households in Uganda managed to increase the population of pigs, sheep, and rabbits between 2008 and 2018 at a faster rate than they did for cows and goats, according to the latest statistics by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics UBOS.

The figures, show that pigs grew by 37.2 per cent, Sheep by 36.9 per cent, while rabbits’ population grew by 41 per cent. On the other hand, cattle (6.2 per cent) and goats (18.6 per cent) grew slowest.

The figures are contained in the annual agriculture household survey 2018. The figures didn’t capture the animals or crops owned by institutional large scale farmers like schools or prisons. Also missing is the bit of Kampala as capital city which also contains farmers.

According to the figures, Uganda’s pig population increased to 5.1million in 2018 up from 3.1million in 2008. Sheep reached 5.4million from 3.4million in 2008. Rabbits reached 628,000 in 2018 up from 373,000.

While most households said they kept these animals for home consumption, according to UBOS, there is a feeling that many end up on the market for sale whenever they get the need for money. Also, the start-up capital to start a piggery or a rabbit farm was not as hindering as one for the cows.

Goats grew from 12.5million in 2008 to 15.3 million last year and For the cattle, UBOS said, it registered 12.1million heads of cattle up from 11million registered in 2008.

Emmanuel Menya, the principal statistician Ubos, said even with these numbers, their survey showed that most households in Uganda still grow crops – with nine out of ten households engaged in crop farming. Some of these did both livestock and crop farming.