OVERVIEW OF CAMEL PRODUCTION, HEALTH, TRADE AND CAMEL PRODUCT PROCESSING IN UGANDA: KEY NATIONAL ACTIONS SO FAR, SUCCESS STORY, CHALLENGES AND FUTURE PRIORITY Paper Presented at IGAD Consultative regional workshop on production and marketing of camel products 13th–14th June 2019, Mombasa; Kenya Author; Dr. Nsubuga David Kituuka, (BVM., cert. Epid., MSc., PGDAEM.) Senior Veterinary Officer (Beef), Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, P.O. Box 513, Entebbe, Uganda. E-mail: dvdnsubuga@yahoo.co.uk

1. Camel production, health, trade and camel
product processing
Uganda
Presented at IGAD
Consultative regional workshop on production and
marketing of camel products 13th–14th June 2019,
Mombasa; Kenya
BY
Dr. Nsubuga David Kituuka
SVO - MAAIF

2.  Camels started to appear in the
arid northeast of Uganda -
1960/70s.
 Interaction of Pokot tribe of
Kenya and Uganda – relative
visits.
 The Matheniko tribe obtained
camels from Uganda Pokot and
Turkana pastoralists of Kenya.
INTRODUCTION OF CAMELS TO
UGANDA

3.  Est. 32,870 camels (MAAIF, 2009).
 Karamoja region (Amudat, Nakapiripirit and Moroto) -
32,030 (97.4 % of all camels Uganda).
 The average herd size among the camel herders is 7-
11.3 heads With Large herds of 30 - 50 camels
(Nampala, 2013).
 Tribal groups that own camels are;
 Pokot (also known as Suk) in Amudat district
 Matheniko in Moroto district (esp. Katikekile &
Tapac sub-counties.
CAMEL NUMBERS & DISTRIBUTION

4.  The camel product & benefits
include milk, meat, hides,
transport and medicines.
 Main actors in the chain: Somali/
Pokot businessmen, Veterinary
Department, Camel keepers
among others
 Most production is for home
milk consumption but there is
limited commercial trade in milk
and meat.
CAMEL TRADE & PRODUCT PROCESSING

5.  Meat
 Most slaughtering for meat is
done local trade centers.
 Active trade in camel meat -
mainly by Somali traders -
buy from camels from
herders and transport them to
urban areas/Kampala for
meat
 Over 90 camels per month
are traded from Karamoja to
Kampala for slaughter.
CAMEL TRADE & PRODUCT PROCESSING

6.  Camels also sold to South Sudan by Santur
Butcheries (U) Ltd
 Adult Camel – USD 1,000 Vs cow USD 300
 Kampala retail market 1 kg of camel meat – USD
4.72 Vs USD 3.6 for beef
CAMEL TRADE & PRODUCT PROCESSING

7.  Camel Milk
 Higher milk yield from camels compared to other
livestock is a motivation for owning camels compared
to local cattle breed
 Milking is done by hand direct into containers
 Surplus milk is churned to butter, for home
consumption or for sale
 Camels milk is of medicinal value and is preserved
for children - pneumonia conditions
CAMEL TRADE & PRODUCT PROCESSING

9.  Other Value
 Traditional values, as
bride price & prestige.
 Transport to the owners
 Leisure/riding animal in
urban areas, hotels,
beaches.
 Exhibited at local
carnivals and other
festivities as an attraction.
CAMEL TRADE & PRODUCT PROCESSING

10.  Mange ,Orf, Pox, mastitis.
 Internal parasites (The camel
lungworm Dictyocaulus
cameli, Strongyle
sp.,Cestodes)
 Trypanosomes (Trypanosoma
evansi )
CAMEL HEALTH

11. • The Karamoja sub-region has a diversity of woody
browse including Acacia species, Euphorbia sp.,
Balanites sp., that are preferred camel forage.
• Other types of feed including grasses and herbaceous
legumes, thorny trees and shrubs, halophytes and
aromatic species that may be avoided by other
domestic herbivores.
• The local woody forage species can withstand
seasonal and climatic variations the Karamoja sub-
region.
CAMEL FEED RESOURCES

12. • The government is undertaking and promoting
livestock rearing as a commercial enterprise
especially in the Karamoja Zone by taking
advantage of the considerably higher average
herd sizes in Karamoja zone.
• In addition government has continued and
strengthened efforts to combat both internal and
external livestock rustling
KEY NATIONALACTIONS SO FAR

13.  Camels have become an important part of the
livelihoods of the Pokot and Matheniko .
 The number of camels have significantly increased
numbering above 41,000
 Active trade in camel Meat and milk products in
Kampala a testament to the development and
increasing recognition of camel meat as a desirable
product in the diet of the urban population.
SUCCESS STORY

14.  High initial cost of camel acquisition
 Inadequate extension services and credit facilities.
 Lack of exposure to camels hence limited skills and
knowledge on camels
 Extension officers receive limited training on camel
diseases and camel management.
 Inappropriate camel production and marketing
infrastructure- No abattoirs
 Legislation is silent on consumption of camel
products
CHALLENGES

15. 1. Integration of Camel diseases management into the
veterinary disease management plans for districts in
Karamoja sub region
2. Integration of Camel management into the general
animal husbandry practices training for farmers and
extension workers.
3. Camel herders to be availed with important
information on camel management.
4. Building the capacities of extension agents in camel
production
FUTURE PRIORITIES

16. 5. Supporting women, youth and children’s
involvement given their central role in camel
production
6. Trainer-of-trainers approach in the areas where
there are inadequate extension services
7. Village savings groups /SACCOs to be strengthened
or established to increase access to credit.
8. Lobbying for funding to address the current
challenges in camel value chain
FUTURE PRIORITIES

17. 9. Setup of processing units for camel products
10. Strengthen the market linkages between camels’
producers and marketers
11. Encourage camel owners to undertake
conservation management and deliberate
production of preferred camel forage species
12. Promoting camel trade and consumption of
camel products as alternative livelihood option
to cattle and shoats
13. Policy and Legislations development on camels
FUTURE PRIORITIES

18. Camels are better adapted to survival in areas with harsh climatic conditions
than “conventional” domestic livestock species. As such the species has the
potential to support the livelihoods and improve the resilience of the
pastoral communities of the Karamoja sub-region and are likely to be an
extremely important source of food and of improved welfare for local
pastoralists in Uganda.
CONCLUSION

19. Thank you