Ankole Long-Horned Cattle (also known as inyambo) have a dark brown coat and long white horns that curve outwards and then up, in the shape of a lyre. They are majestic, elegant animals, able to travel long distances in search of pasture and water. Thanks to its impressive horns (almost six times longer than those of European cattle breeds), this breed was once considered the incarnation of divine beauty, a yardstick for women and worriers.
Still today these cattle have a sacred role in the communities that depend on them. They are a maternal figure, a currency, and a gift. They strengthen social relationships, and their elegance is celebrated in poems and songs. Breeders and herders articulate the times of the day through the habits of their cattle: the morning is “grazing time” and the evenings are “home time.” Ankole Long-Horned Cattle are raised in the Rift Valley along the border between Uganda and Rwanda (some are also present in Burundi) in a semi-arid strip often called the "cattle corridor." This rustic breed is kept for both its meat and milk. The milk has a high fat content and is used to prepare traditional products such as yogurt and ghee (clarified butter). The blood is also used as an ingredient in local cuisine.
Production area
Kitenga Subcounty, Mubende District, and the cattle corridor areas between Uganda and Rwanda
Presidium supported by
IFAD
Intesa Sanpaolo Fund for charitable, social and cultural donations
Kakuru Yosam
Tel. +256 789113711
Ziporah Ainebyona
Kayebe women group
Tel. +256 782156988
John Rwapapa
tel. +256 705 037629
Kellen Ankankwasa
Kibuye women group
Tel. +256 783697750
Presidium coordinator
Isaac Kabanda
tel. +256782439148
sharedvisiom@gmail.com
Slow Food Uganda office
Josephine House, Plot 218, Kayunga Road – P.O.Box 259, Mukono
tel. +256 200906662 +256 392178204
info@slowfooduganda.org