Gov’t To Ban Sale of Unvaccinated Cattle from Uganda’s Market

The government is in the final stages of enacting regulations that will require all farmers to provide proof of vaccination for their cattle against Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) before selling them in any market in Uganda. This decision comes after some farmers refused to share the cost of FMD vaccines with the government.

Frank Tumwebaze, the Minister of Agriculture, made this announcement during a presentation to Parliament on the status of the agriculture sector in Uganda. He explained that the government’s initiative, which included a cost-sharing program for FMD vaccines, faced challenges as some farmers were reluctant to pay the required fees and insisted on receiving the vaccines at no cost.

Due to numerous outbreaks of Foot and Mouth Disease, the government has implemented a compulsory biannual mass vaccination program for all susceptible domestic animals in a concerted effort to eradicate FMD in the country. This marks a shift from the previous practice of providing free FMD vaccines, which often resulted in only 2-10% of animals being vaccinated, leading to difficulties in managing the disease.

The Minister informed legislators that, as part of this initiative, the government has established vaccine cold chain storage facilities at the National Animal Disease and Diagnostic Centre in Entebbe and across 53 districts to ensure proper vaccine storage. This will assist veterinary officers in administering the vaccines, with plans to expand cold chain facilities to more districts.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the current mandatory vaccination program is being complemented by the development of an anti-tick vaccine. The government, through the National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO), has developed this vaccine and established a local manufacturing facility at Nakyesasa with a capacity of producing 3 million doses per month.

Additionally, the Ministry of Agriculture has procured and distributed 13,000 liters of Deltamethrin to 41 high-risk districts across six sub-regions: Ankole, Lango, Acholi, Karamoja, Buganda, and Murchison Falls. This chemical is used to kill tsetse flies and other biting flies, with a total of 4 million cattle having been sprayed.