Sembabule partially lifts cattle quarantine

Veterinary authorities in Sembabule District have partially lifted a cattle quarantine in some sub-counties that were hit by Foot-and-Mouth disease (FMD) in May.

The authorities imposed the quarantine and closed cattle markets in Nabitanga and Lwemiyaga sub-counties in Lwemiyaga County following an outbreak of the disease.
Dr Angero Ssali, the district veterinary officer, yesterday said they had allowed farmers to conduct on-farm loading of cattle strictly for slaughter.

He, however, asked farmers to be vigilant and avoid bringing in cattle from risky areas such as Mutukula or Isingiro- both on the Uganda –Tanzania border where FMD has become endemic .

“The breather is mainly to allow movement of animals for slaughtering. So, we don’t expect people to bring in animals for rearing. We have also urged farmers to continue observing measures to prevent the spread of the contagious virus,” Dr Ssali said. 

FMD is an infectious and sometimes fatal viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed or divided hooves animals.
Dr Ssali said they have made several   interventions, including vaccination, observation of biosecurity measures, community sensitisation, and community policing by the farmers which reduced the spread of the disease. 

Traders cautioned
Mr Patrick Nkalubo, the district chairperson, warned traders against abusing the partial lifting. 
“Our people should bear with us and do that for now as experts continue to study the situation and see if they can allow the reopening of cattle markets as well ,but for now, they should respect that or else they risk having  the total cattle movement  ban reinstated ,” he said.

Mr Andrew Yawe , a livestock farmer and a cattle dealer, welcomed the move, saying it is timely, especially at a time when parents are preparing to take their children back to school .

“We are happy that they have finally considered partial lifting of  the ban on movement of animals. We have been greatly affected by the quarantine , but at least, we can now load from farms,” he said.

Mr Peter Mubera, another livestock farmer, asked his colleagues to respect the guidelines .
Cattle quarantine in Sembabule  has been in force since August 7, 2019. 
This forced Lwemiyaga County MP Theodore Ssekikubo to mobilise farmers to defy quarantine restrictions and this subsequently led to  his arrest in January  last year .

But a July 7, 2020 letter by the commissioner animal health, Ms Anna Rose Ademun, lifted quarantine restrictions. 
However it was reinstated in some parts of the district in May .

Recently, livestock experts working with Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU) asked government to investigate the various strains of FMD virus to avert further outbreaks.

According to experts, a blanket solution like vaccination prior to identifying virus serotypes could cause more losses to the farmers.

They argued that the strains of FMD experienced in Uganda differ from district to district and no single vaccine can cover all the livestock at ago.