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Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Gulu University’s faculty of Agriculture and Environment has initiated a skilling programme for community members on pork processing and value addition.
The initiative funded by MasterCard seeks to explore and fill the gap in the food processing chain aimed at improving profit margins of businessmen intending join or already in the agri-food industry. The initiative has been inspired due to the increasing pig farming in the region driven by growing pork consumption.
Gulu University Vice-Chancellor professor George Openjuru Ladaah says pork producers in the region haven’t yet capitalized on the food value addition which presents a virgin market with limited competition.
Prof Ladaah says majority in the pork sub-sector tend to concentrate on selling unprocessed pork within their business premises thus missing out on bigger business opportunities outside their areas.
“When you go to the market, they are still cutting and hanging pork for sale. We need to move away from that into packing, those ones who cut, hang and sell are forced to work for the day to day demand of their kiosk because they cannot take it far but when you chop, preserve and sell, you sell it beyond your shop,” the professor says.
Prof Ladaah advised the beneficiaries of the initiative to venture into breaking into the market of pork packaging by consistently making people get used to their quality products.
Dr. Elly Kurobuza Ndyomugyenyi, the acting Dean-Faculty of Agriculture who is an expert on non-ruminant nutrition says imparting skills on food value addition to the community will enhance quality pork production.
At least ten community members among them hoteliers, students and the university staff over the weekend acquired skills in adding value to pork through packaging, making fresh sausages and bacons.
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