Livestock quarantine seals off pockets of Teso residents

Soroti

John Ekelot, 56, a resident of Palam, in Katakwi District depends on agriculture and livestock to raise fees for his children who will be sitting for Senior Four and Six final examinations this year.

Since the second term begun life has not been easy for Ekelot. The children have been sent home twice to collect school fees balances. “I am still struggling to raise fees for one of the children before the close of the term, otherwise he will not be allowed to sit for end of term examinations,” said Ekelot.

Quarantine blues
He cannot sell any of his cattle because a quarantine restricting sale of cattle, goats, sheep and pigs due to an outbreak of foot and mouth disease has been imposed in most of Teso sub-region.

Like Ekelot, many parents in the region have had to look for alternative sources of income to pay fees for their children. “It has been difficult for parents who have no other sources of income other than crop and animal farming. The situation has aggravated poverty that is already prevalent in the rural households,” Katakwi LC5 chairperson, Mr Robert Ekongot said.

The outbreak of foot and mouth disease that is infectious to human beings, was first reported last year in Katakwi and the epidemic has since spread out to most parts of Teso. “The disease is viral. It spreads fast and we are trying to prevent a serious outbreak of the epidemic,” Mr Silver Ongom, Katakwi District production coordinator, said.

A ban on sale of meat and milk has also been imposed in the districts of Soroti, Kumi, Bukedea and Ngora where foot and mouth disease have been reported.

Veterinary authorities in the affected districts have advised that milk, beef and pork sold in the areas affected by the outbreak is not safe for consumption. “We are taking the threat seriously. For now it still illegal to sell beef, pork,” the mid eastern police spokesperson, Mr Juma Hassan Nyene, said.

The ban has drastically affected local revenue collections from affected districts that majorly depend on cattle markets for their revenue

In Bukedea cattle market that is open every Monday, veterinary authorities on June 10 confiscated and burnt unspecified kilogrammes of beef that had been found to be infected with the foot and mouth disease.

The Ngora LC5 Chairperson, Mr Bernard Eumu, said: “A blanket ban on slaughter of animals is not a fair solution. How will people survive? Healthy animals should be screened and allowed for slaughter.” He blamed government for abandoning the practice of communal vaccination and treatment of cattle that previously used to be a responsibility of the public sector.

Former Serere Constituency Assembly Delegate (CAD), Mr Christopher Amorut said the government should revive meat inspectors who in the past used to check conditions of meat before consumption. “There used to be meat inspectors. These were charged with the responsibility of checking the meat before it is sold out and a blanket quarantine cannot work for the poor,” Mr Amorut said.

Soroti District Veterinary Officer, Dr Patrick Eyudu, said: “We conducted intensive vaccination of animals in areas where the threat was more eminent. It will take some time for the disease to clear.”

But as veterinary experts and government grapple to contain the outbreak, the future for community mainly dependent on livestock for income remains unclear with no other possible alternative.