How foot-and-mouth disease outbreak affects you

Farmers and traders engaged in the cattle business in the districts around the cattle corridor have been sent reeling after the government started to implement movement control restrictions to guard against the spread of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) among livestock and its resultant effects to consumers of red meat. 

The affected districts that have already been placed under quarantine in recent days by the Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries (Maaif) are Budaka, Bukedea, Kumi, Bukomansimbi, Butaleja, Fort Portal City, and Gomba. 

Others are: Isingiro, Kabarole, Luuka, Lwengo, Lyatonde, Mbarara, Mityana, Mpigi, Nakasongola, Nakaseke, Ntungamo, Rakai, Rwampara and Sembabule. 

The instrument that has been used by the government to effect the restrictions is the Animal Disease Act Cap 38.

A January 25 letter signed by Dr Anna Rose Ademun, the Maaif’s commissioner of animal health, and addressed to the district local government administrators effectively laid down the law. It put the seal on a ban that ensures no movement of cattle, goats, sheep, pigs, and animal products like milk.

According to Dr Ademun, FMD is a severe, highly contagious viral disease of livestock that has a significant economic impact. It affects cattle, goats, sheep, pigs, and other cloven-hoofed ruminants. 

No love lost
Monitor has learnt that the ban came into effect in Bukedea District after earlier detection of affected animals on January 23 in the sub-counties of Komuge, Kidongole, and Kachumbala.

The ban has rubbed farmers and businessmen the wrong way coming as it did at the time when they are preparing to send their children back to school for the academic calendar 2024. 

Mr James Sande Maraka, the LC 2 chairperson of Kongunga Town Council, says the quarantine restriction was imposed based on false findings without conducting proper investigations. 

“Foot-and-mouth disease infection has not been registered recently in my area apart from one suspected case, which turned out to be an incident arising from the effects of stillbirth,” he tells Saturday Monitor. 

Another dejected farmer, Kenneth Kupulian Ariko from Akero Village, says the quarantine restrictions have been received with great horror and dismay. This, he adds, is because there have been no signs of FMD. 

Dr Francis Omgelech, the Bukedea District veterinary officer, offered support, disclosing that the last suspected outbreak of FMD was detected in November 2023. 

“We received 20,000 doses of vaccine from the government and we have been able to vaccinate more than 18,000 cattle in the district and since then no other animal has shown signs,” he says. 

Covering all bases
According to Mr Robert Ojala, the regional veterinary officer, who superintends over the sub-regions of Teso and Karamoja, more than 3,000 head of fattened cows exited Teso. He adds that the cattle business is one of the main money-minting ventures.

Mr Ojala estimates that it rakes in more than Shs1 billion every week. It’s against this backdrop that he strongly encourages all stakeholders to wholeheartedly comply with the restrictions imposed by the central government.  He also advises farmers to ensure proper vaccination of animals.

In western Uganda, which is heavily dependent on livestock, livelihoods that have been reliant on cattle and the sale of its products are at a crossroads as the main source of income gets disrupted.

Amidst these shocks, Mr Festus Bandeeba, the Kabarole’s Resident District Commissioners (RDC), says they have heightened security operations to enforce the ban and curb the spread of the disease.

He adds that they have already received 2,500 vaccine doses for the vaccination process.

“The farmers who have been affected need to embrace other enterprises until the ban is lifted,” the RDC says. 

Dr Henry Mulondo, the Kabarole District Veterinary Officer, reveals that 16 cases of FMD have been registered. He also says they have utilised some of the 2,500 vaccine doses in hotspot areas. 

Elsewhere, in Mbarara District and Mbarara City, the ban on livestock movement has left farmers and dealers in beef, milk products pondering their next course of action. Mr Abede Juma, the chairperson of Mbarara Butchery Association, says before the quarantine, they had a few animals left at the slaughter slabs. This, he adds, is the reason why meat is still on the market. 

Mr Amon Katasigazi, a dairy farmer from Kaso District, suggests that the quarantine was rushed since some districts have not reported any case. 

“We are in a season of sending children back to school, so this is a very bad thing for us as parents who get livelihood from dairy farming,” he says.

However, Dr Moses Amanyire, the Mbarara City Production Officer, says those selling meat are doing it illegally, adding that they have started enforcement of the quarantine.

“We have already banned the slaughtering of animals at all slaughterhouses in the city,” he says.

Old problem
In West Nile Sub-region, Dr Richard Akule, the Moyo District veterinary officer, tells Saturday Monitor that the FMD crisis reared its ugly head in June of 2023. He is, however, quick to add that no new cases have so far been registered.

“There were two sub-counties—Moyo and Lefori—that were put under quarantine although it affected farmers. Later it was lifted because the district is now free from the disease,” Dr Akule said, adding, “The only vaccination happening in the district is for dogs.”

In Pakwach District, which is the gateway to the West Nile sub-region, the quarantine that was imposed during the outbreak of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) that affected goats and cows has been lifted.

The Resident District Commissioner for Pakwach, Mr Paul Eseru, says:  “We do not have any quarantine now. This was lifted after we vaccinated animals and the disease burden has been stopped.”

Dr Angella Anyongyeire, the Kabale District Veterinary Officer, says although they have not registered any case of FMD in the area, farmers have been advised to take precautionary measures to save their animals. 

“While the zero-grazing patterns in Kabale District do not favour the spread of foot-and-mouth disease, we appeal to the farmers to always apply bio-security mechanisms to ensure that they protect their animals,” she says.

In Budaka, the district veterinary officer, Dr Peter Owori, says cases of FMD had been registered in the sub-county of Budaka and Lyama Town Council, sending farmers into panic, with fear that the epidemic could spread to neighbouring areas.

Dr Owori explains that the outbreak of FMD is not the first. Despite vaccination measures, the disease has continued to break out almost every year.

“The department was alerted about the outbreak of the disease, but the district and the line ministry have swiftly responded and are seriously taking the necessary measures to control the rapid spread of the disease in other neighbouring sub-counties,” he explains. 

Mr Nelson Mandela Elungant, the Kumi District chairperson, says whenever the quarantine is imposed, it has diverse effects on districts, especially those upcountry that solely depend on local revenue collected from the cattle markets. 

He adds that in situations where the ban takes more than three months, the entities subcontracted to collect revenue from various cattle markets always ask for contract extension to compensate for the lost time during the quarantine. This in one way or the other affects the district’s plans and budgeting cycle.

“It is our prayer that the farmers and security ensure the quarantine is observed, but also the ministry should be concerned as to why the quarantine has become an annual thing,” Mr Elungant says, asking, almost rhetorically, “Do we have loopholes in the vaccination exercise?” 

Govt speaks out
Maj Gen David Kasura Kyomukama, Maaif’s permanent secretary (PS), in his letter addressed to the Inspector General of Police, says the ban is geared towards preventing the movement of animals from the affected districts to non-effected areas. PS Kyomukama says the ministry notes that the restrictions are being flouted by the district authorities, who continue to grant movement permits.

He says without restriction on the movement, the disease will further spread and may go out of control thus devastating the livestock sector.

Agriculture minister Frank Tumwebaze says unlike other agro-inputs, the vaccines are not bought on the shelf but manufactured on order.

“Vaccines are delayed a bit because they are manufactured on order. They are not bought on a shelf. We placed more orders and hopefully, [in February] the vaccines will be in the country,” he says.

The government, according to Minister Tumwebaze, supplied FMD vaccines to affected districts in December 2023 to do ring vaccination. 

This was in a bid to contain the disease transmission in areas where the FMD had been detected.

Minister Tumwebaze adds that the country is also staking future hope on the work undertaken by the scientists at the National Agriculture Research Organisation (Naro) for a sustainable fight against the FMD.

In Nakasongola, Nakaseke, Gomba, and the other districts currently under the FMD quarantine, a section of farmers had reported cases where private agro-dealers are reportedly charging some fees for treatment of the FMD-affected animals, a practice dismissed by the government as illegal and not applicable.

“Agro-dealers don’t sell FMD vaccines. The farmers shouldn’t be conned. They are not authorised to deal in the FMD vaccines,” Minister Tumwebaze says.

Monitor on Monday learned from a section of the district leaders that the delay in the supply of the FMD vaccines was reportedly compromising the effective monitoring of some of the quarantine guidelines.

Mr James Tumusiime Kanywanyi, a farmer in Nakitoma Village, Nakitoma Sub-county, Nakasongola District, says he failed to access the FMD vaccines.

“I have 207 animals on my farm and fear that the delay to access the vaccines could affect my animals,” he says.

In Nakaseke District, the most affected areas, include Ngoma Town Council and Ngoma Sub-county. 

Mr Enoch Nyongole, the Nakaseke North lawmaker, who is also a livestock farmer, says his area is banking on the government’s recent promise to have the FMD vaccines delivered on time.

“We shall have to wait because the vaccines can only be accessed from the government stores and not any other place,” he says.

Farmers stuck
In Fort Portal City, all abattoirs, milk selling points, and butchers have been closed for about two weeks, resulting in severe disruptions to businesses.

Restaurants in the city have consequently turned to selling fish and chicken as substitutes. In the face of these challenges, the businesses affected by the ban are desperate to see the quarantine lifted.

This, they say will allow them resume regular operations and alleviate the economic difficulties. Mr James Tusiime, a resident of Busoro Sub-county, Kabarole District, says he has been unable to sell milk for the past two weeks.

“I had intentions to sell two of my cows, each at Shs1.5 million. However, with the current situation, I am stuck and uncertain about the future,” he says. 

Compiled By Simon Peter Emwamu, George Muron, Alex Ashaba, Felix Ainebyoona, Rajab Mukombozi, Felix Warom, Scovin Iceta, Rashul Adidi, Robert Muhereza, Emmanuel Arineitwe, Mudangha Kolyangha, Fred Wambede & Dan Wandera.