Performance Evaluation of NAGRIC Community-Based Animal Breeding Program on Dairy Farming in Kikatsi Sub County Kiruhura District
Authors: Brian Ahimbisa , David Bahame , William Mwebembezi 
Published: January 2025

Community-Based Animal Breeding Programs (CBABP) have gained considerable attention recently and are being viewed as a viable approach to increase livestock productivity in low-input and smallholder settings, particularly in Uganda’s cattle corridor in general and Kiruhura district in particular. Despite the implementation of the NAGRIC community-based animal breeding program, there remains a significant gap in the comprehensive evaluation of its performance in dairy farming systems. This study therefore was intended to evaluate the performance of NAGRIC community-based animal breeding program to determine its effectiveness in achieving the desired outcomes. The study specifically aimed at assessing the level of farmer engagement and participation in NAGRIC-CBABP, analysing the influence of NAGRIC-CBABP on cattle-breed improvement and milk production and evaluating the Sustainability of NAGRIC-CBABP in Dairy Farming communities in Kikatsi sub-county, Kiruhuura district. To achieve the objectives, a cross-sectional study design was adopted rooted in the quantitative approach. The study population comprises dairy farmers, government leaders, local leaders and other leaders in Kikatsi Sub County, Kiruhura district. The sample size included 59 respondents. A structured questionnaire with multiple-choice questions was used to collect quantitative data from farmers while semi-structured interviews were held with key informants in this case leaders. The collected data was analyzed by generating descriptive statistics. From the analysis, the study revealed that the level of farmer engagement and participation in NAGRIC-CBABP is still low where about 72.5% of the farmers are still reliant on natural breeding methods with limited participation in modern breeding methods such as artificial insemination. Community-Based Animal Breeding Program had a positive influence on cattle-breed improvement and milk production in Kikatsi Sub County since they are perceived by most farmers to be highly beneficial in terms of genetic improvement, increased availability of quality and improved breeds. However, there was concern among most farmers about the scarcity of highly productive breeds in terms of milk production and the lack of tick and disease-resistant breeds. Other concerns were about the high cost of semen, limited knowledge about artificial insemination and lack of semen that specifically breeds heifers. Despite the Government intervention most dairy communities in Kikatsi Sub County have not sustainably benefitted from NAGRIC-CBABPs since utilization of services provided under this program is still low. Addressing these challenges is therefore critical to improve farmer engagement and participation in NAGRIC-CBABPs hence contributing significantly to the sustainability of these programs. The study therefore recommended Government through the NARO and MAAIF conduct thorough research into the breeds of dairy cattle that are highly productive and resistant to ticks and diseases as well as the most effective acaricides and drugs for ticks and diseases respectively. The Government should also provide subsidies on the cost of semen used in artificial insemination and train and employ more agriculture extension officers to scale up sensitization