Farmer’s perception and experiences in dairy production under organic farming systems in central Uganda

Summary

In Uganda, certified organic livestock production is almost non-existent yet livestock is an integral part of many organic farms. With the increasing global market for organic foods, farmers cannot afford to overlook the emerging opportunity for organic livestock production. A survey to understand farmers’ perceptions and experiences in dairy production was undertaken on 30 certified organic pineapple farms with dairy cattle using a semi-structured questionnaire. Results indicated that average age of respondents was 48 years with majority (53.3%) having attained the minimum primary education. Land tenure system was majorly customary (96.7%). Farms had 0.4-2.6 acres of land for livestock production and 1-2 dairy cows. Tethering/free-range grazing (74.4%). was the commonest dairy management system. Milk yield and robustness were the main criteria for breed selection. Weather was rated highly as the risk factor to yields. Knowledge and market information were perceived as main considerations for adopting organic dairying. Disease was the main constraint to dairy production. Future development of organic dairy production will require providing farmers with knowledge on organic animal husbandry and market information on prospective organic animal products.