UNBS On Drive To Eliminate Substandard Poultry Feeds in the Market

UNBS On Drive To Eliminate Substandard Poultry Feeds in the Market

UNBS in collaboration with Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) and other stakeholders have embarked on efforts to rid the market of substandard animal feeds.

This follows several public complaints on poor quality of animal feeds on the market today especially the poultry feeds.
The poultry industry is one of the vibrant and rapidly growingsectors in the country with chicken forming the bulky of poultry production with about 35 million birds kept countrywide and have created many jobs for our people. Substandard animal feeds are those that do not meet the minimum quality standards to enable chicken to eat and is satisfied, get necessary nutrients to grow very well, lay eggs and resist diseases.

This has been a result of adulterating animal feeds’ raw materials like “mukene” (small fish), fishshells, etc which are deliberately being mixed with and burnt tyres, cotton, sawdust, white mica, limestone mixtures and water which are deliberately added to increase the weight of the merchandise and the final consumer is exploited. This iscommonly practised in down town Kampala in Kisenyi, Ndeeba and at landing sites. Such feeds are poorly labelled without nutritional content and physical address of the manufacturer and if the buyer is keen, it is advisable to ignore them. Poor quality animal feeds impose several dangers and this includes the following:

• Stunted growth in the birds with layers taking long to lay and broilers being under weight
• poor egg yieldsin terms of quality, quantity and size
• Cannibalism amongst the birds due to nutritional deficiencies
• Rapid illnesses
• High mortality rates especially among the young ones resulting into huge economiclosses to the farmers. Such incidences result into nutritional deficiencies in humans who finally consume these products (eggs and chicken meat). It is against this background that UNBS has secured funds from the Quality Infrastructure and Standards Program (QUISP) from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Corporative to carry out trainings and sensitisation amongst the poultry industry players and also dealersin meat sector as a whole on good hygienepractices, guidelines on acceptable handlingof meat and meat products at butchers, slaughter houses and during animal transit. The program is expected to train raw material manufacturers both established and undisclosed, distributers, and farmer with the aim of improving on the quality of animal products especially poultry and meat products on our market today. Five pilot study districts of Kampala. Wakiso,Mpigi,Mukono and Jinja have been identified and activities are already on going and shall consequently spread to other parts of the country. UNBS is working in partnership with MAAIF,Consumer Education Trust (CONSENT) among other stakeholders to achieve this noble goal. Pastor Solomon Male, a renowned farmer and the general secretary of Uganda Poultry Farmers Network is positive that such interventions will redeem the poultry sub sector that is grappling down because of manyunscrupulousdealers, and manufacturers.

“Such people are impoverishing us, forcing us to close farming operations, and actually killing our birds due to profit greed, UNBS should intervene because we are running out of business. Male Explains.
UNBS invites ideas on how to improve on this sub sector. Please call on our toll free line. 0800133133