NAADS Resumes Pig Distribution to Boost Household Incomes Nationwide

The Government of Uganda, through the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS), resumed the distribution of livestock, primarily pigs, to special interest groups nationwide to enhance household incomes.

According to Dr. Thomas Nsemerirwe, the Livestock Development Officer at NAADS, in the current financial year 2023/24, NAADS has procured a total of 3,352 pigs, and distribution to beneficiaries has commenced, with the archdioceses of Kampala, Gulu, Tororo, and Mbarara being among the first to receive them.

“The four archdioceses requested this support, and based on the available resources, we have provided them with 180 pigs, with each archdiocese receiving 45,” explained Dr. Nsemerirwe.

Dr. Nsemerirwe says the pigs provided this year are breeding pigs given to farmers for multiplication purposes. Of these, 2,234 are females, and 1,118 are males.

“We caution the beneficiaries of these pigs not to slaughter them for meat or sell them to butchers because they are strictly for breeding to enable multiplication,” explained Dr. Nsemerirwe.

He further noted that the current support for livestock materials targets special interest groups such as the youth, religious institutions, women's groups, associations of the disabled, widows, and spouses of security officers, among others.

Receiving the pigs on behalf of the Uganda Episcopal Conference at the NAADS Secretariat, Father Joseph Mary Ssebunya, the Youth Chaplain of the Province, expressed his gratitude to NAADS for the support rendered to them.

“We requested this support from NAADS because, as the Church of Christ, we focus on the holistic development of the faithful, which includes their spiritual, financial, and social wellbeing,” said Father Sebunnya.

He said the pigs received are going to be given to the youth in the different archdioceses to improve their livelihoods.

Since 2015, NAADS has distributed over 20,000 pigs to farmers across the country for household income in different District Local Governments and special interest groups such as the youth and women.