KATAKWI – Farmers in Kaberamaido and Katakwi districts are celebrating a major boost to their livelihoods, thanks to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The organization has constructed and handed over two chicken hatcheries, providing high-quality breeds to enhance their poultry farming.
This initiative is part of the Building Climate-Resilience for Food and Nutrition Security of Smallholder Farming Households in Teso Subregion project. FAO is implementing a Community-Based Breeding Programme (CBBP) to improve the bottom lines of indigenous poultry farmers.
Two community hatcheries have been established, one in Omodoi Cell, Ochero Town Council, Kaberamaido district, and the other in Katakwi Town Council, Katakwi District. These facilities will fast-track the multiplication of improved genetics in the region.
According to Dr. Antonio Querido, FAO Uganda Country Representative, the initiative aims to support communities in improving their local chicken genetics and creating a sustainable production system. The hatcheries have a combined capacity to produce 27,000 chicks per year.
“With this, we believe that we will create a capacity to improve the genetics of our local birds because we know they are resistant to diseases. This gives farmers an opportunity to grow their stock.”
“Working with the National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO), FAO will provide guidelines on managing the facilities, feeds, and disease control to ensure the sustainability of local chicken production,” he added.
“We hope that this model will help us to see how we scale up this intervention so that other communities can have the same.”
Dr. Brian Babigumira from NARO highlighted that the improved indigenous chickens provided to farmers are resilient to diseases and can thrive in harsh conditions.
“The genetics that we are bringing here had been developed using local chicken from Uganda, so there is no way that this chicken will affect the genetics that is in this area.”
“Indigenous chickens have evolved with the environment for many years which has allowed them to develop adaptive traits – they can survive at high levels of disease challenges, so they have a higher survival rate.”
Gladys Eluru Odia, a member of Omodoi United Women Farmer Field School, expressed excitement about the project, citing improved breeds and increased income potential.
“With this project, I know we shall have improved breeds and we shall sell at a higher price which will increase our income.”
“We have also been taught how to manage the poultry, the ratio of cocks to chickens. We shall have to ratio one to eight as we have been taught.”
She noted that diseases have been another bottleneck but they have been educated on poultry disease management and “we shall be having trainings here where we shall learn a lot in chicken management.”
Vice President Jessica Alupo, who commissioned the hatchery in Katakwi, emphasized the significance of poultry farming in the region and encouraged farmers to expand their entrepreneurial endeavors.
“A chicken here in Teso is known as a transit route to wealth. From a chicken, you can acquire a goat, to a cow. So I call upon the population here not to stop at a cow. From a cow, move to better houses, to skills for the children, to bank accounts because culturally we would be comfortable with a cow.”
“I call upon the district to take a keen interest in the facility and ensure its functionality throughout the year. Hatching 1000 chicks monthly is a big thing and a good start…with time we shall come to you to see how it can expand. I’m sure it will be a very successful project because it is something people here are already doing. We want to thank FAO for the work you are doing.”
The FAO initiative is expected to have a positive impact on the livelihoods of Teso farmers, enhancing their food and nutrition security while promoting climate resilience.
