Butchers and livestock dealers in Kyotera district are protesting the enforcement of livestock movement restrictions in the area.
Last week, Doctor Anna Rose Ademun, the Commissioner for Animal Health in the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries issued a circular, directing veterinary authorities in over 30 districts in the cattle corridor, to enforce livestock movement restrictions as a way of managing the Foot and Mouth Disease-FMD in their areas.
The districts that were served with instructions circular include Sembabule, Lyantonde, Kyenjojo, Gomba, Rakai, Isingiro, Kiruhura, Bukomansimbi, and Kyotera among others. According to the Commissioner, the districts were exposed to great risk for higher spread of infectious FMD in livestock.
She instructed that affected districts be put under total quarantine with prohibited movement of animals, and their products, as well as closing down all livestock markets, slaughter places, and butcheries. However, the traders are protesting the restrictions, arguing that their enforcement is unreasonable.
Sulait Kyambadde, the Chairperson of the Kyotera Animal Traders and Butcher Owners Association says that closing down livestock-related businesses has grave financial implications for individuals, communities and the economy.
He says that they have already paid a very heavy price for a similar quarantine that was enforced in the area since October last year, over the outbreak of Anthrax, arguing that subjecting them to yet another restriction is unacceptable.
Kyambadde disputes claims that the district is under FMD threat and maintains that they are yet to register a confirmed case or related deaths in the area.
Kyotera District Chairperson Patrick Kintu Kisekulo also shares similar frustrations and adds that he is yet to find justifiable reasons for the enforcement of quarantine in the area.
He observed that during the outbreak of anthrax, farm,ers were massively mobilized on the implementation of bio-safety measures which enabled them to combat the disease and eventually avoid similar outbreaks. Kisekulo also affirms that the district has not registered any cases of Foot and Mouth Disease.
Kyotera Resident District Commissioner Apollo Mugume says that they are now working out plans to enforce the instruction as issued by the Commissioner and they have asked the District Veterinary Officer to conduct an assessment towards mapping the most affected and prone areas to guide their course of action.
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