3-4T/H Cattle Feed Pelletizer in Uganda

The Client: A Dairy Cooperative's Next Step

The client in this project is not a huge factory but a cooperative-owned cattle feed mill that supplies about 200 small to mid-sized dairy farms. They collect raw milk daily from members, so they deeply understand the challenges local farmers face when dry seasons hit and pastures vanish.

For years, they have supplied simple mash feed: a mix of maize bran, cottonseed cake, and mineral salts. But they noticed more and more farmers asking for pelleted cattle feed, saying that cows eat it better, there’s less wastage, and storage is easier.

So instead of building an entirely new cattle feed production line, the cooperative chose to add a single ring die cattle feed pellet making machine to their existing hammer mill and mixer. Their goal? Start small, prove the benefit, and expand step by step.

Why One cattle feed Pelletizer Makes Sense

This client did not rush to install a large industrial feed plant. They understand their daily output and cash flow realities. They have good local suppliers for raw maize and cottonseed cake but limited warehouse space.

Adding a cattle feed pelletizer in Uganda gives them a low-risk way to:

• Upgrade from mash to pellets without stopping their mash feed sales.
• Use the same hammer mill and mixer they’ve run for 8 years.
• Test the new market gradually with loyal farmers.
• Build trust with smallholder members who cannot risk large feed purchases.

This practical path is exactly what makes the project realistic and easy to replicate for other cooperatives.

Picking the Right Pelletizer Model for Uganda

Together with RICHI's team, the cooperative’s manager and a local technician chose the SZLH320 cattle feed pellet machine for this project. Here’s why:

• Main motor power: 37 kW — strong enough for maize- and cake-based rations.
• Feeder motor: 1.5 kW — steady and adjustable feed rate.
• Conditioner motor: 4 kW — enough steam conditioning for small batches.
• Ring die diameter: 320 mm.
• Pellet size: 6–8 mm, ideal for dairy cows.
• Capacity: 3–4 tons per hour — matches their current feed demand and leaves room to grow.

For Uganda’s power grid, the size is practical. They can run the cattle feed pelletizer for a few hours daily alongside their mash mixer, without needing costly transformer upgrades.

Local Feed Ingredients: Using What Uganda Produces

Uganda’s dairy belts produce plenty of raw materials that fit pelleting well:

• Maize bran: The staple bulk energy ingredient.
• Cottonseed cake: Protein-rich, a byproduct of local cotton oil pressing.
• Sunflower cake: Also common in the region.
• Rice bran: Available in small amounts.
• Mineral premix and salt: To balance rations.

The cooperative’s standard pellet formula for the cattle feed pelletizer in Uganda is:

• 50% maize bran.
• 35% cottonseed cake.
• 10% sunflower cake.
• 5% minerals, salt, and a dash of molasses for binding.

They do not pellet pure grass — in Uganda, grazing remains vital, but supplements like pellets bridge the feed gap in dry seasons.

What the Pellets Are Used For

This cattle feed pelletizer in Uganda produces mainly:

• Dairy cow supplement pellets: For lactating cows to boost milk yields.
• Heifer grower pellets: For young cows, improving early weight gain.
• Small portion of beef finisher feed: Some members also raise beef cattle on the side.
• No poultry, pig, or fish feed is made on this machine — the ring die pelletizer is perfectly suited for medium-fiber rations but not for floating fish feed or fine poultry mash.
• The cooperative clearly understands this — they want to excel in one thing first: high-quality cattle feed pellets.

Real Impact for Local Farmers

Why does pelleting matter here? For Uganda’s smallholders, every kilogram of feed must count. Loose mash feed:

• Gets spilled easily.
• Separates in transit.
• May mold during long storage.

Pellets solve all three. Farmers can store them longer in basic sheds. They pour cleanly into simple troughs. Cows can’t sort out ingredients. In early trials, the cooperative’s members report:

• Up to 12% better feed conversion.
• Less spoilage.
• Smoother milk yields in the dry months.

Practical Setup: Simple, Robust, Local

The new SZLH320 cattle feed pelletizer in Uganda connects directly after the existing mixer. The cooperative also installed:

• A small horizontal steam generator for conditioning.
• A simple homemade cooling bin.
• Manual bagging under the pellet discharge.

No fancy elevators or towers — all equipment is installed in a basic brick shed that used to house their spare bags and old hammer mill parts. Practical, affordable, functional.

First Few Months: Early Wins

Since commissioning the cattle feed pelletizer in Uganda, the cooperative has:

• Sold over 200 tons of pellets to member farms.
• Increased repeat orders by farmers who want reliable supply.
• Built a small buffer stock to sell to nearby non-member farmers.
• Improved cash flow, as pellets sell at a premium compared to mash.

Why a Ring Die Pelletizer, Not a Flat Die

A few farmers in Uganda tried flat die pelletizers in the past. But they found:

• Output is too low for cooperatives.
• Machines overheat if run continuously.
• Pellet quality is inconsistent.

For maize-bran and cake-based rations, the ring die cattle feed pellet press is simply more durable, more stable, and easier to maintain for daily batches. That’s why RICHI’s SZLH320 cattle feed pelletizer is the smart fit.

How RICHI Helped: Local Service Matters

RICHI didn’t just ship the machine and say goodbye. Our team:

• Helped test sample feed to find the ideal die compression ratio.
• Provided spare dies and rollers for fast changeover.
• Gave the cooperative clear training videos in English and Luganda.
• Set up a simple preventative maintenance guide so operators could fix jams or adjust rollers.
• Keeps parts ready in our Nairobi warehouse for faster regional shipping.

Keeping Money in Uganda: Local Inputs, Local Jobs

By installing this cattle feed pelletizer in Uganda, the cooperative is:

• Using local cottonseed cake that might otherwise go unused.
• Reducing dependence on expensive imported commercial pellets.
• Supporting local maize and sunflower growers with reliable off-take.
• Adding two new jobs for operators and one part-time electrician for maintenance.
• Every ton of local feed keeps money in the community — exactly the cooperative model’s spirit.

The Next Step: Ready to Scale Slowly

The cooperative plans to run the pelletizer 2–3 hours daily for now, adding weekend shifts during the dry season when demand peaks. If more farmers switch to pellets, they may add a small horizontal cooler and a bigger bagging line next year — all step by step.

For Uganda’s dairy belts, the right-sized cattle feed pelletizer in Uganda means:

• Using local raw materials smartly.
• Helping farmers handle feed shortages.
• Growing local feed brands that keep big imported products at bay.
• Creating fair value for cooperative members.

That's why RICHI Machinery's cattle feed pellet press, cattle feed pellet mill, and cattle feed pelletizer options continue to find homes in real East African projects.

Ready to Talk? RICHI Is Just a Message Away

If you run a cooperative feed mill, a family feed business, or you're planning your first pellet upgrade, talk to us at RICHI Machinery. We help you pick the right model, adapt to your local power and ingredients, and stay with you through installation, training, and after-sales parts.

Contact RICHI today. Let's build the next generation of Uganda's feed story together, one pellet at a time.