Uganda's Ankole Cattle Face Extinction
UGANDA -Uganda's Ankole cattle, famous for its high resistance to disease and drought, could be extinct within two decades, international experts have warned.
5 September 2007
2 minute read
"During a recent drought, some farmers that had kept their hardy Ankole were able to walk them long distances to water sources, while those who had traded the Ankole for imported breeds lost their entire herds."
Carlos Sere of the International Livestock Research Institute
"Scientists predict that Uganda's indigenous Ankole cattle, famous for their graceful and gigantic horns, could face extinction within 20 years because they are being rapidly supplanted by Holstein-Friesians, which produce more milk," said a statement issued by CGIAR.
"During a recent drought, some farmers that had kept their hardy Ankole were able to walk them long distances to water sources, while those who had traded the Ankole for imported breeds lost their entire herds."
There is a tendency in Uganda to replace the low-yielding indigenous cattle with cross-breeds and exotic cattle.
This is contained in a report by scientists from the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), which was presented at an international conference in Interlaken, Switzerland, on Monday.
But scientists have expressed concern about what they call a 'livestock meltdown', not only in Uganda but also in other developing countries.
"There is a livestock meltdown underway across Africa, Asia and Latin America," Carlos Sere of the International Livestock Research Institute told the 300 participants at the conference.
"Valuable breeds are disappearing at an alarming rate. In many cases we will not even know the true value of an existing breed until it is already gone. This is why we need to act now to conserve what is left by putting them in gene banks."
