Cattle population in S.W is estimated at 3.35 million head of cattle with an annual milk production estimated at 1.17 billion litres, with approximately 2.868 million litres per day being produced in the wet season and 1.447 million litres per day being produced in the dry season.
There are 230 dairy cooperatives in the region of which, 169 are active where as 61 ar non active. There are currently a total of 549 Milk Collection Centres (MCCs),with 702 milk coolers and an average installed capacity of 2,043,000 litres .There are currently a total of 104 road milk tankers serving the region on a daily basisi.
There are seven large scale milk processing plants with a total processing capacity of 1.854 million litres per day and over 64 small scale dairy cottages producing mostly yoghurt, ice cream, ghee and cheese.
The S.W region office enjoys good working relations with Local Government structures ie Districts and Sub-counties through out the region,development partners witin the region and beyond ie East African Dairy Development Project/Heifer International,Millenium Villages of the United Nations,the Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV) which collaborates with DDA mainly in areas of roduction and productivity with specific interest on milk quality improvement within and beyond the region.
An M.O.U was signed between SNV and DDA to develop concepts to drive the agenda that are jontly approved and funded by SNV.
Other partners includeNAGRC &DB,CAIIP of Local Government,OWC,NAADS,ABII Trust and any other associations that have a biasy in dairy.
The umbrella farmer organization is Uganda Crane Creamaries Cooperative Union (UCCCU), which is followed by 7 district unions the most active being Ntungamo DFC,there are other associations that were formed to receive tractors under the presidential initiative to address milk production,productivity and dry season feeding.
There are also a number of SACCOs whose membership is largely farmers hence helping to extend affordable credit facilities to them.