by Eli Samson

In May 1965 the author, today a retired CINADCO cattle expert, travelled to Uganda together with Shimon Zuckerman, Arie Feier and Ali Bialer to organize two on-the-spot courses on Agricultural Extension Methods for the staff of the Animal Industry Ministry of Uganda. We present here are some of their experiences, reprinted from The Dairy Cattle Journal of 1965.

May 19, 1965

We have just said our goodbyes to family and friends, and we leave on a long journey to Africa. We were called to share our knowledge and experience with our colleagues in Uganda making its first steps as an independent country.

May 31, 1965 - Arapai Agricultural College, Soroti

Today is the opening of the first course. By 10 a.m. we were able to finish putting up the poles for the Israeli and Ugandan flags, as well as the sign "Agricultural Extension Methods Course." We also readied the classroom and wore our suits and ties for the opening ceremony. At 10 o'clock sharp the guests of honour arrived: the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry for Animal Industry of Uganda, the Israeli Ambassador [the late Mr. Michael Michael], and the Principal of the College where the course is taking place. After the greetings, and a warning to the participants to expect to work hard, the course was officially open. The participants are Veterinary Assistant Animal Husbandry Officers who graduated from two-three years of studies in veterinary care, and they act as extension officers in various regions in Uganda. The purpose of the course was to transfer knowledge, information and the basics of agricultural extension methods. I personally was in charge of the specific application of information in the field of dairy husbandry.

After a short recess we, back in our more comfortable work clothes, arranged the desks in the classroom in a square shape and sat with the participants. The atmosphere became more congenial and we introduced ourselves, deciding to use only our first names. We asked the participants to tell us about the professional and extension problems they face daily, so the knowledge we share with them can be as close as possible to their reality and needs.

From this conversation a few interesting facts became clear. First of all: For what purpose do people raise cattle? The reasons are listed according to their priority: 1. Cattle are a means of payment, a transferable good. 2. A large herd elevates the owner's social status. 3. Cattle are raised for income from leather and hides that are processed for export. 4. They are raised for income from meat. Only a small percentage of the cattle is raised for meat due to the large distances from the slaughterhouses, the less than effective marketing and the desire to possess a large herd. 5. For manure that improves the soil. 6. In spite of the large numbers of cattle, they are not used for labour. Women work the land manually while the cattle roam free nearby. 7. Only as a last priority for milk. Although there are about 3.5 million heads of cattle in the country, Uganda imports [in 1965] tens of thousands of litres of milk from Kenya. Given the set of priorities, the huge economic potential of cattle is hardly exploited.

What are the responsibilities of the Animal Husbandry Ministry and of the extension officers?

Their most important duty is the battle, mostly preventive, against the terrible diseases affecting cattle, widespread all over the continent. Different kinds of fevers, cattle plague, contagious pneumonia and triphonomiasis (a blood disease caused by the tse-tse fly), foot-and-mouth disease, infertility and calf mortality (one birth every two years and calf mortality up to 60%), and more. The Veterinary Service is in charge of a huge organizational enterprise in this field, involving great expense.

Another effort is being made in the field of information, training and persuading the many cattle owners to regard their herds as an economic asset that should generate income for the owner and the country.

Each extensionist works in a specific area covering between 300 to 3,000 cattle owners, carrying out demonstration and training activities. They devote a lot of their time to training advanced farmers (breeding "exotic" cattle such as Jersey, Guernsey and Holstein Friesian) fundamental to the advancement of Uganda's agriculture. They also assist in fencing grazing plots, a complicated issue involving land ownership and funding. Governmental subsidies are provided for the purchase of barb wire for fencing and pesticides.

Another problem is water. Although it rains almost every day, there are no reservoirs or any facilities to channel water from the sources. The extension officers have to explain that a cow should drink water at least once a day and not only once or twice a week, when the cattle is actually led to a watering hole located 2-3 kilometres away from the farm.

Two-thirds of Ugandan cattle herds are made up of the East African Zebu breed, featuring a hump and short horns, low fertility, weighing at maturity about 320 kg. They produce very little milk but are resistant to most diseases. Some 10% of the cattle are Sanga, dark red animals with protruding meter-long horns, small bodies, a low milk producing rate, from the Ankola region. The rest of the cattle are a cross of these two breeds, with small numbers of exotic cattle to be found close to the large cities.

The local cattle do not produce milk or meat, and the exotic cattle are not immune to diseases. So far there has been no attempt to cross-breed exotic cattle with the local breed to produce a new productive breed resistant to disease.

During the weeks of the course, in addition to actual course work, an impressive demonstration day was organized in which the participants presented their newly acquired knowledge. As a group we visited various places such as an artificial insemination institute near Entebbe, the place of the second course.

July 21, 1965 - Veterinary Training Institute, Entebbe

Yesterday the closing ceremony of the second course took place. We all sang the Israeli song "Hevenu Shalom Aleichem" ("We bring peace") which we taught during the course. The participants shared with us some of their songs and dances, and later some got up to sum up the course. One participant said: "We thank you for all the interesting and important lectures, the material for thought and for changing our approach as extension officers. However there are not enough words to thank you all for sharing with us our meals, for sitting with us and talking to us as friend to friend, for singing with us, for telling us about your beautiful country, and for turning us into a group of people which sees extension work as a mission." Another participant said: "I have been working as an extension officer for over 10 years, but only during the weeks of this course have I realized that we should take the farmer into consideration, organizing our work according to his specific needs and abilities, considering him as an equal."

What can I say, we were deeply moved. I believe that we succeeded in consolidating a cadre of extensionists who will know, perhaps better than before, how to share knowledge with farmers. This group will always carry in their hearts - as we will - wonderful memories of the course, where they worked so hard, of the staff which organized the course and of Israel, which sent the team.

Long years passed and both our countries have changed. If one of you - participants of the courses - are still around, please write to us.

In memory of the late Shimon Zuckerman, the leader of the team