FAO Hands Over Jianzhou Big-Eared Goats to Uganda Government

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has officially handed over nine Jianzhou Big-Eared Goats to the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) during a ceremony held in Entebbe.

The consignment, comprising three males and six females, arrived from China in early July and has since been under quarantine at the National Animal Genetic Resources Centre and Data Bank (NAGRC&DB). A team of technical experts has been monitoring the animals, and recent assessments confirmed they are in good health.

The goats were procured under the FAO–China–Uganda South-South Cooperation programme, jointly implemented by FAO Uganda and MAAIF.

The goats will now be integrated into breeding, research, and multiplication programmes run by the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) and NAGRC&DB, with the long-term goal of making them accessible to grassroots farmers.

“These goats are well-suited to Uganda’s climate and production systems. They hold great promise for improving the livelihoods of our farming communities,” said Yergalem Taages Beraki, FAO Representative to Uganda (ad interim).

“Through crossbreeding, they will enhance the productivity and resilience of local goat breeds, thereby contributing to household incomes, improved nutrition, and greater resilience against climate and market shocks,” she added.

State Minister for Animal Industry, Bright Rwamirama, who received the goats on behalf of the Government, emphasized that the breed is not intended to replace indigenous goats but to boost productivity to meet rising demand both locally and internationally.

“Uganda is the first country in the world to receive this breed of goats,” he said. “The purpose of procuring these goats is research, breeding, and multiplication for access by farmers. I request NARO and NAGRC&DB to use them for the intended purposes.”

The Jianzhou Big-Eared Goat is a new meat breed developed in China by crossbreeding Nubian goats with local Jianyang goats. It was officially recognized as a national-level meat goat breed in 2013.

As the name implies, the goat has distinct large, drooping ears and a medium-sized head with or without horns. It has a glossy coat, often with a small amount of black hair on the abdomen and limbs.

The breed is renowned for its meat production qualities. By one year of age, a Jianzhou Big-Eared Goat can weigh up to 60 kilogrammes—three times the weight of some of Uganda’s best-performing indigenous breeds, such as the Kigezi and Mubende goats. It also has high fertility and rapid growth rates, making it an attractive addition to Uganda’s livestock improvement efforts.