A carefully managed breeding programme at Nshaara Conservation Ranch in Kiruhura District, Uganda, has achieved significant improvements in the milk output of the country's indigenous Ankole Longhorn cattle. The programme, implemented by the National Animal Genetic Resources Centre and Data Bank (NAGRC&DB), aims to enhance the productivity of indigenous cattle through genetic selection, performance monitoring, and improved animal nutrition.
When the initiative began approximately three years ago, the objective was to identify Ankole cows with naturally superior milk-producing abilities and use them to establish a nucleus breeding population. By 2023, the ranch had accumulated sufficient production data to establish a baseline for assessing progress. Average recorded milk productivity stood at 5.2 litres per active cow per day, with annual production reaching approximately 56,040 litres.
The following year brought further improvements, with average productivity rising to seven litres per cow per day, while annual recorded milk production increased to approximately 106,358 litres. The milking herd expanded from 36 cows at the beginning of 2024 to 47 by December. By December 2025, average daily productivity had reached 8.6 litres per cow, while annual recorded production climbed to approximately 168,285 litres.
The increase in average productivity from 5.2 to 8.6 litres represents a 65.4 per cent improvement between 2023 and 2025. Dr Innocent Tuwangye, the manager of Nshaara Conservation Ranch, attributed the progress to deliberate selection of animals with desirable milk-production characteristics. The breeding programme prioritises milk yield, lactation length, udder conformation, and calving interval.
Replacement heifers are selected using their mothers' performance records, while bulls are chosen partly based on the milk production of their dams. This approach enables the ranch to identify and reproduce desirable characteristics across generations rather than relying on individual animals that may perform exceptionally under particular conditions.
Individual cow performance has also provided evidence of the breed's productive potential. Selected Ankole cows at Nshaara regularly produce between five and 10 litres during morning milking, compared with an average of approximately two litres under traditional production conditions. Some exceptional animals have recorded yields of up to 12 litres during morning milking, while one cow has attained a peak of 14 litres.
However, NAGRC&DB says the results cannot be attributed to genetics alone. The ranch has complemented grazing with supplementary feeding using hay and silage produced on-site. These measures help meet the nutritional requirements of cows with higher milk-producing potential. Executive Director Dr Peter Beine said production records were helping the institution improve both breeding decisions and feeding practices.
Key points
- The breeding programme has increased the milk output of Ankole Longhorn cattle by 65% in two years.
- The programme's success is attributed to deliberate selection of animals with desirable milk-production characteristics and improved nutrition.
- The results provide an example of how indigenous livestock productivity can be improved through sustained investment in breeding, nutrition, and farm-level data.
