- President Museveni stated that Uganda is not rushing to enter the global beef export market
- He emphasized that he will not force Ugandan farmers to meet global standards to compete with countries like South Africa and Botswana
- Museveni highlighted the challenge of competing with countries run by white farmers, stating that Uganda is still helping its own traditional people transition into modernity
Museveni stressed over the weekend that he will not force Ugandan farmers to adjust to global standards in order to compete with some of the top African beef exporters such as South Africa and Botswana.
The Head of State was responding to concerns about a lack of standardisation of Ugandan beef, which has locked Uganda out of the global market.
During the closing of the weeklong Cabinet retreat in Kyankwanzi district, Hon Enock Nyongore, the Nakaseke North MP complained about Uganda’s failure to breach the global beef market, despite her massive potential.
“I have been to Botswana and South Africa where they have fewer numbers than us but they are exporting. Here we cannot export because beef is not regulated,” remarked the MP
President Museveni in response, however, explained that Uganda cannot compete with the two countries, where the beef industry is run mainly but white farmers.
“The people you are coveting; these are not indigenous people,” he said. “They are mainly Europeans. They maintain those high standards because they are business people.”
“Here we have a more difficult job but a good one because the people we are struggling with are our own people. They are traditional people who are slowly coming into modernity. The Europeans are efficient but I don’t envy them.”
Museveni also pointed out that Uganda still grapples with animal diseases, which come with smuggled animals mainly from Tanzania.
When Ramaphosa ‘rejected’ Museveni’s cows
He gave an example of his own experience when he sold indigenous cattle to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, but they could not be transported to South Africa.
“When I sold Ramaphosa 43 cows, he could not take them to South Africa, although they were checked and had no disease. He took them to Kenya…and simply got embryos from them. The cows you see him advertising were the embryos he took from my cows.”
“So we need to let our people move at our own pace,” Museveni said.
Nonetheless, Museveni said the government is taking bold steps to combat animal diseases, through mass vaccination.
