Fresh animal quarantine brings Nakasongola to its knees
There have been repeated Foot-and-Mouth-Disease outbreaks especially in the cattle corridor districts. PHOTO/WILSON KUTAMBA
What you need to know:
The quarantine announced on Tuesday restricts animal movement, closes all butchers, cattle markets and prohibits the trade in all animal products within Nakasongola District until the FMD is brought under control
A fresh total ban on animal movement and trade in animal products announced by the government over the outbreak of the Foot and Mouth Disease has hit the farming population hard in Nakasongola District.
The quarantine announced on Tuesday restricts animal movement, closes all butchers, cattle markets and prohibits the trade in all animal products within Nakasongola District until the FMD is brought under control.
Mr Sam Kigula, the district chairperson, said farmers will have to bear the brunt at a time when parents are mobilising for school fees for their children.
“The FMD outbreak and the total quarantine imposed on Nakasongola is bad news for our people. While the imposition of the quarantine is meant to curb the spread of the disease, the farming population is at crossroads. About 75 percent of the population in Nakasongola derives their respective livelihood from the livestock industry,” he said.
Mr Rogers Sunday Bwanga, the Nakasongola District council speaker, who doubles as the district councillor for Kalungi Sub-county, urged locals to adhere to the guidelines.
“I pray that our people follow the guidelines with hope that the quarantine will be lifted early if the disease is brought under control,” he said.
Mr Emmanuel Katungi, a livestock farmer in Nabiswera Sub-county, asked the government to boost the vaccination campaign for the FMD disease since a bigger percentage of the farmers cannot afford the vaccines.
“The FMD outbreak is bad news because our farmers do not have the vaccines. In Nabiswera Sub-county, about 85 percent of the residents are directly involved in the livestock industry but the vaccines are not easily accessible to them,” he said.
The Nakasongola District Veterinary Officer, Dr Sam Eswagu, said the government is yet to send the vaccines but appealed to individual farmers to abide by the quarantine restrictions.
“The quarantine restriction is for the entire Nakasongola District. The first FMD cases were detected in Kazwama Town Council on January 11. The ban means that even the cattle markets and butchers remain closed as we monitor and control the spread of the FMD,” he said on Tuesday.
The Commissioner for Animal Health, Dr Anna Rose Ademun, on Tuesday announced the quarantine restrictions in Nakasongola and advised farmers and leaders to follow the guidelines for better management of the outbreak.
“The Local Government Administration, DVO (district veterinary officers), LCs (local councils), chiefs, enforcement personnel and the general public is requested to enforce the quarantine restriction as per the guidelines for controlling animal movement during quarantine restriction,” Dr Ademun said in a statement dated January 17, addressed to Nakasongola District authorities.
Mr Saleh Kamba, the Nakasongola Resident District Commissioner, said while Nakasongola serves as the gateway for several of the cattle corridor districts, the district recognises the importance of having the FMD disease restricts put in place to control the spread of the disease.
“We shall ensure that the guidelines are followed to help our people overcome the problem. Nakasongola is known for its vibrancy in the livestock sector. The FMD outbreak is a big concern because the livestock industry employs the biggest percentage of the Nakasongola population. Even people who don’t own cows have a direct link to the livestock industry,” he says.
The FMD outbreak in Nakasongola and the animal quarantine come at a time when the farmers are struggling with effects of the dry spell, which forces farmers to move their animals for long distances in search of water and pasture.
Mr Edward Ssemakula, a farmer in Nakitoma Sub-county, said: “Most farmers in my area water the animals at the banks of River Kafu. We shall need guidance from the leaders as we struggle to get the vaccines.”
Nakasongola is the latest on the list of districts that are currently battling the FMD in central region. The other districts where quarantine restrictions have been imposed include Gomba, Lyantonde, Ssembabule and Lwengo.
Nakasongola has an estimated 269,000 head of cattle, according to the statistics available at the District Production Department. The sub-counties with the biggest number of animals include Nakitoma, Nabiswera, Lwampanga and Wabinyonyi.
