By Executive Editor

As the demand for animal feed continues to grow, local animal feed manufacturers under their umbrella body, the Uganda Animal Feeds Manufacturers Association (UGAFMA), have partnered with Andritz Feed & Biofuel, a feed processing equipment giant, to be able to effectively and efficiently make animal feed locally. 

The partnership between the two like-minded institutions came to light on Wednesday during the opening of a two-day workshop on Advancing Uganda’s feed and biofuel industries at Four Points By Sheraton in Kampala.

The workshop convened by the Uganda Animal Feeds Manufacturers Association (UGAFMA) and its partners from the region is discussing the advancements in technologies that have informed feed manufacturing.

Speaking as the chief guest at the commencement of the two-day workshop, the Minister of State for Fisheries in the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries, Hellen Adoa, confirmed the government’s support for the initiative. 

“The demand for what you are doing is very high. Research the new technologies to see how you can expand. The government will support you,” said Adoa.

According to Anthony Mutwiri, the Area Sales Manager for Africa at Andritz Feed & Biofuel, there is a need for sector players to reflect on the role the equipment plays in the success of the feed operations. 

Mutwiri says that recent years have seen massive advancements in technology that he says have revolutionized the way “we approach equipment manufacturing.”

“By leveraging these innovations, we can help you optimize your processes, minimize downtime, and maximize your return on investments,” Mutwiri said. 

Marcel Franitza, the Industry Director, Animal Feed at Andritz Feed & Biofuel, said that the industry is currently facing a number of challenges, including frequent changes in the ingredients and formulas, which he said are driven by availability and cost. The second challenge, he said, is the inclusion of high-energy liquid ingredients.

To this end, Franitza called for local manufacturing of feed in a bid to optimize production.

“You have a lot of raw materials. Why not do safe production in Uganda? Manufacture first for the people of Uganda and maybe export,” said Franitza.

UGAFMA Chairman Aimable Mbarushimana noted that, with the available raw materials, Uganda has the capacity to manufacture animal feed locally. According to Mbarushimana, the only challenge previously was infrastructure. However, he says that with the partnership of Andritz Feed & Biofuel, a renowned feed manufacturer, Uganda can now manufacture its own animal feed and possibly export it to outside markets.

This is good timing,” Mbarushimana said. “We now have the right technology to manufacture feed locally because we have the raw materials.”