Enhancing productivity of traditional goat phenotypes among small holder farmers of Uganda: The role of research

Goats have not only been important for food and income of many people in developing regions but have also contributed significantly to the economic development for millions of years. In Uganda, approximately 40% of the rural households rare local goats as an important socio economic activity. They are reared for food (milk, and meat), spiritual activities and cultural ceremonies; and are also sold for cash incomes. Despite their contribution, local goat resources are threatened by a number of factors including decreasing feed resources due to increased expansion of crop agriculture, indiscriminate crossbreeding with cosmopolitan breeds, emerging diseases induced by climate change, changing production systems, changes in physical environment, etc. There is therefore a large number of topics that necessitate research now and in the future if goats are to maintain the key roles they have played in the past. Given the ongoing indiscriminate crossbreeding, perhaps the most urgent for Uganda is defining the distinct local goat genotypes present before they are completely lost. This is against the background that Uganda has a varied physical and human landscape that provides unique opportunities for evolution of high diversity among livestock. Another important area that requires urgent attention is the determination of the different locally available browse species and their nutritional value. This would provide information that farmers can base on to domesticate the species with high nutritional value and have the potential to improve goat productivity. Changes in climate, farming systems, disease patterns, and market will certainly influence goat research trends in Uganda