NAGRC&DB Boosts Milk Production of Pure Ankole Cattle at Nshaara Ranch

KIRUHURA — The National Animal Genetic Resources Centre and Data Bank (NAGRC&DB) is recording major progress in efforts to increase milk production among Uganda’s indigenous Ankole Longhorn cattle without introducing exotic dairy genetics.

The programme, being implemented at Nshaara Conservation Ranch in Kiruhura District, focuses on identifying and multiplying Ankole cattle with naturally higher milk-producing ability. The approach combines genetic selection, proper pedigree management, performance recording, improved feeding and better herd management.

NAGRC&DB started the deliberate programme about three years ago after identifying superior pure Ankole animals with promising milk production potential. The selected animals included cattle already at Nshaara as well as superior Ankole genetics sourced from recognised conservation and improvement herds, including the Kisozi Ankole Longhorn herd.

Officials say the programme is not intended to crossbreed the Ankole with exotic dairy cattle. Instead, it seeks to make use of genetic differences that already exist within the Ankole breed and gradually increase the number of animals carrying desirable milk-production traits.

Milk yield is the main trait considered when selecting animals for the breeding programme. Other factors include lactation length, udder structure and calving interval. Replacement heifers are assessed using information about their mothers’ milk production, growth and fertility, alongside physical characteristics such as body structure, udder development and temperament.

The programme also places strong emphasis on selecting breeding bulls from families with a history of good milk production. Bulls whose mothers have recorded high milk yields are given priority, while their growth, body size, maturity, reproductive ability, testicular development, libido and temperament are also assessed.

Dr. Innocent Tuwangye, Manager of Nshaara Conservation Ranch, said the programme is aimed at improving the Ankole from within its own genetic population.

“We are not trying to turn the Ankole into an exotic dairy cow. We are identifying superior dairy traits that already exist within the pure Ankole population and systematically selecting and multiplying those genetics,” he said.

Tuwangye said the long-term objective is to develop Ankole cattle capable of producing more milk while maintaining the breed’s adaptability, resilience and genetic identity.

The breeding team records milk production alongside reproductive events and animal health information. The records are kept physically at the ranch and also captured in NAGRC&DB’s Integrated Livestock Management Information System (ILMIS), enabling the organisation to track individual animals and their maternal lines over time.

The records show a steady increase in milk productivity. In 2023, average milk production stood at 5.2 litres per active cow per day, with total recorded annual production of about 56,040 litres. The number of active milking cows increased from 24 in January to 35 by December.

In 2024, average productivity increased to 7.0 litres per cow per day, while annual recorded milk production rose to approximately 106,358 litres. The number of milking cows also increased from 36 at the beginning of the year to 47 by December.

By December 2025, average productivity had risen further to 8.6 litres per cow per day, while annual recorded milk production reached about 168,285 litres. The active milking population grew from 47 cows in January to 60 by December.

The figures represent an increase of about 65.4 percent in average milk productivity between 2023 and 2025, alongside the expansion of the selected milking population.

At individual level, some selected Ankole cows are also producing significantly more milk than what is commonly recorded under traditional production systems. While a typical Ankole cow under traditional conditions may produce about two litres during morning milking, selected cows at Nshaara are regularly recording between five and 10 litres in a single morning milking session.

A few exceptional animals have recorded as much as 12 litres during individual morning milking sessions between their second and seventh lactations, while one cow has recorded a peak morning yield of 14 litres.

NAGRC&DB officials, however, say improved genetics alone cannot guarantee high milk production. The ranch has therefore strengthened feeding programmes by supplementing traditional grazing with hay and silage produced at Nshaara.

Dr. Peter Beine, Executive Director of NAGRC&DB, said the results show the importance of combining breeding with proper nutrition.

“Our records are increasingly showing us that breeding and feeding must move together. Selection identifies the animal with superior genetic potential, but nutrition determines how effectively that potential is expressed,” Beine said.

He added that production records are being used not only to identify future breeding animals but also to improve feeding and management practices for the emerging Ankole dairy population.

The programme is now moving into a phase focused on spreading superior performance across families and generations. NAGRC&DB says the goal is not simply to produce a few exceptional cows, but to develop a population in which high milk production can be consistently reproduced.

Beine said continued pedigree recording, identification of elite cows, selection of replacement heifers from proven maternal lines and the use of bulls from superior dams will remain central to the programme.

“Our real measure of success will not simply be one exceptional cow. The breeding objective is to establish a population in which superior milk production can be consistently reproduced from one generation to another,” he said.

The Nshaara programme therefore represents an effort to combine Uganda’s indigenous cattle genetics with modern breeding and management practices. NAGRC&DB hopes that continued selection and recording will eventually produce a stable, productive and resilient pure Ankole dairy population capable of contributing more significantly to Uganda’s livestock sector.