The residents and the local leaders of Gulu District have asked the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries –MAAIF to lift the livestock quarantine imposed on the district over the outbreak of foot and mouth disease –FMD outbreak reported in September this year.
On September 3rd, Dr. Rose Anna Ademun, the Commissioner of Animal Health under the Agriculture Ministry wrote to the Gulu District Veterinary Officer imposing the ban on the movements of animals in and outside of the district after cases of the FMD were reported.
The Commissioner’s directive was followed by a vaccination exercise against the disease that was carried out in Sub–Counties like Palaro, Awach, as well a Paicho targeting about 5,000 head of cattle.
Christopher Opiyo Ateker, the Gulu District Chairman told URN in an interview that the District Veterinary Officer –DVO has written to the MAAIF requesting it to lift the livestock quarantine since no case of the FMD has been reported in the district for the last one month.
According to Ateker, the ban on animals’ movement in and out of some of the Sub–Counties in the district has greatly affected their revenue collection since a number of the meat shops in the affected areas have remained closed since September. He says the quarantine should be lifted since they also carried out vaccination of animals in the affected areas.
Charles Kidega, a butcher in Paicho Sub –County in Gulu District says he used to earn between 20 to 30 million shillings every festive season but that his business has collapsed this time round following the livestock quarantine.
Richard Kinyera, another butcher in Gulu City revealed that since livestock markets in Gulu District are closed over the outbreak of FMD, they are forced to travel to Lango or Karamoja Sub –Regions to buy cattle to slaughter and that it is very costly to travel to those far markets.
He says due to the cost they incur on transport coupled with the high fuel prices, they have hiked the meat prize to 14,000 shillings a kilogram from 12,000 shillings and that the price might even go higher during this festive season.
Benson Mutundawano, a resident of Oroko Village, Palaro Sub –County in Gulu District revealed that the locals there are feasting on fish and stray wild animals that come from Kidepo National Game Park. He says the government should lift the quarantine since the FMD is no longer in their area.
Stephen Odong Latek, the Gulu Resident District Commissioner, however, warned the locals against violating the livestock quarantine saying they should be patient until the government lifts it after carrying out a thorough assessment.
Dr. Rose Anna Ademun, the Commissioner of Animal Health at MAAIF however says the government is still facing a shortage of the Foot and Mouth Disease vaccine but that plans are underway to procure it.
-URN
