The National Animal Genetic Resources Centre and Data Bank (NAGRC&DB) has launched five strategic and operational documents aimed at improving livestock breeding, strengthening service delivery and expanding farmers’ access to quality and affordable breeding stock.
The documents include the Client Charter for FY2025/26–2029/30, Service Delivery Standards for FY2025/26–2029/30, Uganda National Animal Breeding Strategy and Action Plan (NABSAP), Strategic and Investment Plan for 2025/26–2029/30, and Communication and Knowledge Management Strategy for 2026/27–2030/31.
The launch was held at NAGRC&DB headquarters in Entebbe and was presided over by the Minister of State for Animal Industry, Bright Kanyontore Rwamirama, who challenged the institution to ensure the new frameworks deliver measurable benefits to farmers.
“The value of these documents will not be measured by the launch today,” Rwamirama said, stressing that their success would depend on how effectively the commitments are implemented.
He urged NAGRC&DB to strengthen accountability, improve service delivery, promote modern animal breeding technologies and increase livestock productivity.
A major component of the new five-year Strategic and Investment Plan is the expansion of access to productive and farmer-preferred livestock breeds for households participating in the Parish Development Model (PDM).
Under the plan, NAGRC&DB will accelerate the breeding and multiplication of dairy and beef cattle, goats, pigs, poultry and fish, with the aim of increasing the availability and affordability of quality genetic resources.
The agency will particularly support PDM farmers engaged in dairy cattle, piggery and poultry enterprises by making high-performance breeding stock available at highly subsidised prices.
NAGRC&DB farms and ranches will serve as breeding, multiplication and technology-transfer centres, working with local governments, farmer organisations and PDM structures to reach beneficiaries.
The intervention is intended to link PDM financing with quality breeding stock and technical support covering breeding, feeding and enterprise management.
The Strategic and Investment Plan also prioritises the conservation of indigenous animal genetic resources, production of quality and affordable animal feeds and strengthening the agency’s institutional capacity.
Progress will be measured using indicators tracking livestock breeds and poultry genetic resources introduced, multiplied and made available to PDM farmers.
The Uganda National Animal Breeding Strategy and Action Plan provides the national framework for transforming animal breeding into a productive, inclusive, climate-resilient and economically sustainable sector.
The strategy seeks to address challenges including low genetic productivity, inadequate breeding infrastructure, limited access to quality breeding materials, uncontrolled cross-breeding, climate-related shocks and weak animal identification and traceability systems.
Its four priority areas are characterisation, inventory and monitoring of animal genetic resources; sustainable use and development; conservation; and strengthening policies, institutions and capacity.
For farmers and breeders, implementation is expected to improve access to productive, market-oriented and climate-resilient genetics while safeguarding indigenous animal genetic resources.
The Client Charter and Service Delivery Standards are intended to make NAGRC&DB’s services more accountable to farmers, livestock breeders, suppliers and other clients.
The Client Charter sets out the services offered by the agency, client rights and obligations, feedback mechanisms, complaint-handling procedures and commitments to continuous improvement.
Under the Charter, complaints must be acknowledged within 48 hours, while complaints requiring investigation should be concluded within 14 days.
The Service Delivery Standards establish measurable benchmarks, including attending to clients within five minutes of arrival at service points and responding to written correspondence within five working days.
The standards also require NAGRC&DB to provide clients with clear, accurate, timely and relevant information.
The Communication and Knowledge Management Strategy for 2026/27–2030/31 is designed to strengthen the way NAGRC&DB generates, manages and shares information.
The strategy focuses on public awareness, farmer communication, knowledge management, organisational learning, stakeholder partnerships, digital communication and institutional identity.
It also establishes responsibilities for generating, validating, packaging, preserving and disseminating technical knowledge to ensure farmers and decision-makers can access reliable information on NAGRC&DB programmes, technologies, products and services.
Speaking on behalf of the Board Chairperson, Eng. Robert Ssenozi, the Board member representing farmers in the Central Region, said the launch should mark the beginning of implementation rather than the end of a documentation process.
“The launch is not just about unveiling documents. It is about launching possibilities,” Ssenozi said.
He linked the new frameworks to NAGRC&DB’s mandate to lead the commercialisation of animal breeding and improve animal genetics and productivity.
A representative of the Office of the Prime Minister, speaking on behalf of the Deputy Head of Public Service, congratulated NAGRC&DB and urged its employees to uphold the standards contained in the new documents.
The Uganda National Farmers Federation also participated in the launch.
Representing the National Planning Authority, Senior Planner for Agriculture Dr Israel Mugezi emphasised the importance of building a competitive and sustainable animal industry based on climate-resilient, high-yielding and affordable genetics.
He linked improved animal genetics to Uganda’s ambitions to expand value-added exports, including milk powder, and advance the agro-industrialisation agenda under the Fourth National Development Plan.
The five instruments are designed to work together.
NABSAP establishes Uganda’s national direction for animal breeding, while the Strategic and Investment Plan translates that direction into NAGRC&DB’s investments and priorities, including support for PDM farmers.
The Service Delivery Standards establish performance benchmarks, the Client Charter strengthens accountability to users, and the Communication and Knowledge Management Strategy provides a framework for information sharing, feedback and institutional learning.
Ultimately, the success of the new framework will be measured by what farmers experience on the ground — improved access to affordable and quality breeding materials, better technical information, faster and more accountable services, stronger conservation of indigenous genetic resources and measurable improvements in livestock productivity.
