By Patience Ampaire
Lyantonde District Veterinary Office has declared movement restrictions and a ban on the sale of livestock products after a fresh outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in Kikooki village, Kyakuterekera parish, Kaliiro sub-county.
According to Lyantonde District Communication Officer, Mr Kutamba Wilson, the veterinary officer and his technical team visited the affected area, inspected animals and isolated those with signs.
“Our Veterinary officers are already conducting sensitization among farmers. Stakeholders, political leaders, and security agencies are working hand in hand to contain the spread of FMD in other areas. Meanwhile, the sale, purchase, movement and slaughter of animals; cattle, goats, sheep and pigs as well as their products has been strictly prohibited,” he said.
He added that the persistent outbreak is geared by laxity among people who work on checkpoints to control livestock movements, and porous borders where livestock from neighboring districts of Rakai, Isingiro, Kiruhura and Kazo enter the district without being inspected.
Kutamba noted that control measures have been put in place including sensitization and mobilization of communities, isolating infected animals, biosecurity and biosafety measures, treatment information and training of Foot and Mouth Disease handlers at the district, sub-county and parish levels.
According to quarantine guidelines, infected farms will be fully closed and put under total quarantine including animals and their products like milk, butter, and blood among other products.
Notably, the farms that are uninfected will be allowed to supply milk from the individual farms to the bulking centres under strict standard operation procedures (SOPs).
Kutamba called upon all administrators, community leaders, livestock and dairy groups, cooperative societies, non-governmental organizations, enforcement personnel and the public to assist the communities in observing the guidelines put in place to control the spread of the disease.
Joseph Babigumira a cattle keeper in Kaliiro sub county says that the value of a cow is likely to be permanently reduced, noting that quarantine of animal products will lead to poverty because these people were getting income from their animals.
Meanwhile, Kuteesa Geoffrey also a farmer said that it’s better to put quarantine that will reduce the spread of the disease than leaving it to affect the whole district as well as neighboring districts like Kiruhura, Sembabule and other cattle corridor districts.
Kuteesa advised fellow farmers to follow the guidelines put in place to control the spread of the disease.
FMD has been a big challenge to the livestock farmers of Lyantonde and this is believed to be assisted by the failure of farmers to follow guidelines.
