Councilor Twinomujuni donates over 10 mating bulls to boost milk production in Rubaya sub-county

Mbarara – Mbarara district forms part of the cattle corridor in western Uganda, and it is growing fast to attain modern farming to improve on milk production.

On Thursday, 11 sub-counties including town councils  in the district received 11 bulls 75% Friesian as donation from one of the area leaders as a way promoting dairy farming.

It was unusual for an individual not government aid to make such a donation.  This comes with spirit of selfless service to the people.

 The donation was made by district female councilor for Rubaya sub-county, Loyda Muhimbura Twinomujuni as a commitment to her people.

The distribution took place at her farm in Rubaya where each each of the leven sub-counties and town councils received a bull each, given to the host farmer as a caretaker of the bull that will serve other farmers within the sub-county or town council.

This has been done in both Mbarara district constituencies i.e. Kashari north and south. On Thursday, 6 bulls were distributed to six sub-counties and town councils.

These include Rubaya sub-county, Bwizibwera-Rutooma, Bubare, Bucuro sub-counties, Bucuro and Rwanyamagembe town councils all in Kashari south.

The following day (Friday), five bulls were distributed to Kashari Kagoni, and Rubindi sub-counties, Rubindi, Ruhumba, and Nyabisirira town councils.

Each sub-county and town council were able to receive a bull of 75% Friesian. These bulls that were donated are estimated at Shs7m each because of its breed but they were given free of charge to the people, and take five months to start mating.

According to Muhimbura, the purpose of the donation is to maintain dairy farming and value addition to the community she leads.

She said that her manifesto is premised on promoting and developing farming, health services and other sectors in Rubaya and Mbarara district at large, adding that the bulls are not meant for individuals but to serve the whole public in the sub-county or town council for the farmers who would wish to change breed for the purposes of high milk production.

“I have decided to donate and distribute about 11 bulls of 75% Friesian to the people of Kashari North and Kashari South especially at  sub-county and town council level. I thought about this because am a person who likes development and am sure that if people are doing farming very well they will develop their families and the district at large.

So I decided to give them after calling some leaders at my home sometime back and taught them how to do farming something they liked so much and  picked interest of having the same breed of my cows that give a lot of milk.

This will also increase on value addition especially in future especially for those interested in making yoghurt, cheese, butter and other milk products,” Muhimbura said.

“I also want to emphasise that these farmers must ensure that there is good management at their farms for their cows against getting diseases. First of all, when they are going to take their cows for mating or mounting at the farm where this serving bull will be, they are supposed to first take them for acaricides, wash and spray them to ensure that all ticks are off, then they proceed and take them to the farm where the serving bull is. First of all I have vaccinated and dewormed these bulls before distribution and made them easy for a farmer to maintain their cows,” she added.

Farmers/caretakers of the bulls were encouraged to receive and allow other farmers to access their farms if there is need for the serving bull. The bulls were handed over to the sub-county or town council leaders who also handed them over to the person chosen to take care of them.

According to Duncan Arinaitwe, a farmer from Bwizibwera-Rutooma Town Council, and one of the farmers chosen to be a caretaker of the serving bull, said that that they had a challenge of low milk production in the area.

Adding that, it’s important that they have received a high breed Friesian bull that will help farmers produce quality breed of cows that will increase on milk production.

“I am very free to welcome each farm interested in this breed to bring their cows for mating when they are healthy. They should always communicate to me before bringing their cows for mating so that I first check them for any suspicious unhealthy conditions,” Arinaitwe noted.