Balaalo start relocating cattle from oil palm fields

The Balaalo (nomads) who have been grazing their cattle in plantations owned by Oil Palm Uganda Limited (OPUL) in the island district of Kalangala, have started ferrying their herds to their original districts. 

This follows a directive by State minister for Animal Industry Lt Col (Rtd ) Bright Rwamirama to the marauding Balaalo to take away the animals or face arrest. 

In a November 25, 2023, letter to Mr Fred Badda, the Kalangala District Resident District Commissioner, Mr Rwamirama said he had received information that herds of cattle are being ferried into Kalangala District from unknown locations without following government procedures for livestock movement.

“Grazing cattle in all palm plantations is very destructive to the project. Grazing should be on open grassland and farm controlled environment,” part of the letter read. The minister also instructed the commissioner for Animal Health to investigate the origin of marauding animals and how they access the island.

According to Mr Badda, the eviction of Balaalo started on January 1 and the herders in Bwendero Parish have been given up to January 30 to relocate the cattle from oil palm plantations. 

“No cattle should remain in the oil palm fields in Bwendero Parish by the end of this month. We are yet to announce their programme for grazing from plantations in the parishes of Kagulube, Kayunga and Mulabana,” he told this publication at the weekend.

Mr Badda said they have also banned herders from grazing cattle in forest reserves and buffer zones.

He said their investigations reveal that a total of 5, 250 head of cattle belonging to 142 farmers are grazing from oil palm plantations owned by OPUL. 

The RDC said the herders were frustrating OPUL’s plan to replant on their oil palm fields, which is expected to start this year. 

“Nomadism is outdated and our livestock farmers should adopt modern farming practices that require less land to feed the animals,” he said

Statistics from the district natural resources office indicate that Kalangala has 14,500 heads of cattle and 23,000 goats.

Kabaka’s chief in Kalangala, Mr Augustine Kasirye, said:“We fault the herders for bringing their cattle to Kalangala. But it was also a mistake to use all the land for oil palm growing leaving almost nothing for other economic activities.” 

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Kalangala has 12,000 hectares of oil palm trees, of which 6,500 hectares belong to the investor, OPUL.

At least 11,800 hectares of oil palm trees have so far been planted on Kalangala’s main Island of Buggala, where the crop was introduced nearly two decades ago. 

Oil palm growing has since 2021 also been introduced in Buvuma District.