By Francis Emorut
The milk vendors in the cattle corridor are counting losses after the Government put quarantines measures in place to curb the spread of foot and mouth disease.
The commissioner in charge of health in the ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Dr Anna Rose Ademun guided in a letter dated March 1, that following the Foot and Mouth disease outbreak livestock markets slaughter places including butcheries and loading grounds in the affected districts be closed with immediate effect.
The government quarantine measures are according to Animal Disease Act Cap 38.
This presents a bigger challenge to diary famers in the affected districts as the majority of them their livelihood is dependent on the sale of the animals and milk to fend for their families.
Moses Byarugaba a milk vendor in Sembabule district said the restriction of movement of animals from affected areas to non-affected has affected him as he can’t sell his milk to the collection centres.
“I don’t know when the situation will normalize. Otherwise, I can’t sell milk and this means loss of income during this period,” Byarugaba said.
John Paul Muhairwe another dairy farmer said he used to earn more money from selling milk to the collection centres but this has been affected by the quarantine measures imposed by the government.
He said the quarantine measures which do not permit the movement of animals or their products from infected regions to non-infected areas has taken a toll on dairy farmers.
Alex Sendikadiwa, a dairy farmer based in Sembabule district said that since the out-break of the Foot and Mouth disease early this year, himself and several cooperative dairy farmers within his locality have been affected because they are neither permitted to sell milk to the Milk Collection Centers or the locals nor slaughter their animals, which has affected their livelihood.
Infected areas have majorly been affected by the stoppage of slaughtering of cattle, sheep, goats and pigs or selling or consuming of animal products such as milk, ghee, meat, and skins and hides.
The quarantined districts within the cattle corridor includes Mubende, Kiruhura, Kyegegwa, Mbarara, Sembabule among others.
The dairy farmers made remarks during a meeting aimed at forging a way forward in Kampala on March 12.
They said the quarantine measures has negatively affected dairy farmer’s livelihood.
Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa has noted that affected farmers whose livelihoods depend on animals need immediate intervention.
This ongoing Foot and Mouth disease is an addition to milk export crisis that hit the country when Kenya stopped the importation of milk.
At the time the exporters decried unfair trade relations within the East African Community.
For example, the continuous non-issuance of milk export permits by Kenya Dairy Board to numerous milk producers in Uganda.
Kenya has reportedly been the leading buyer of Uganda’s milk products, although the trade relations have not been consistent due to several barriers, prompting Uganda’s milk producers to search for new markets for their milk and milk products such as Algeria, Europe and the Middle East.
One of the leading producers in Uganda, Brookside Limited was hit hard by the milk ban which led to laying off of over 100 staff in July 2023, following a drop in its exported products to Kenya.
The milk industry continues to grapple and requires immediate intervention the dairy farmers said. Ends
