PAUL NTALE; We need to find lasting solutions rather than trusting quarantines over Foot and Mouth Disease

In my view Quarantine only serve to destroy the sector and kill farmers livelihood. We need to find lasting solutions rather than trusting quarantines in year after year.

Uganda has implemented quarantines for more than 30 years but Foot and Mouth Disease  is not being controlled.

There is lack of knowledge on what exactly needs to be done properly and better, Many Countries do not use this quarantine approach but a Zonal Management approach such as Namibia, in such an approach cattle trade remains active and slaughter takes place with in controlled Zonal management strategy.

This is because not every cow in an FMD area has the disease, Science should be in action FMD is not going away any time because Uganda has buffalos which stands naturally carrying of the Virus that cause the infection.

While we appreciate that FMD is highly contagious , we also recognize that quarantines overtime have not offered sustainable solutions and at the same time these are temporal measures which sometimes are abused and over prolonged affecting household economy among cattle farmers and also affect beef industry/exports .

Actually, research shows that cows that are vaccinated annually, eventually, either don’t contract FMD, or they get a very mild one.
I have personally experienced this in the past. In a herd of 100+, only 6 cows got mild wounds on their tongues, and only 3 limped.

This means that if all cows in Uganda were vaccinated against FMD annually for at least 5 years, cases of cows contracting FMD would reduce by over 90%.

Some big officials working in Government offices with Guns doing telephone livestock farming and business can avoid laws and guide lines.

I look forward to the following

1) MAAIF should prioritize Disease Control not cosmetic handling

2) Revise the Budget for Disease control ( You cannot procure 1m doses in a year to vaccinate Cattle and Goats twice a year and stop Fire Fighting

2) Consult and bench mark on Districts which have managed to control FMD and see what they have done

3) Do not Politicize Disease, not vaccinating cattle only and forgetting other species.

4) Consult Stake Holders

5) Support Vaccination Exercise in all Districts not the few Districts as u once did to silence the rest

6) Stop Bias, and blame games

7) Improve on the Cold Chain

8) Do not stop farmers from supporting the Vaccination Exercise as it was before u changed.

9. Allow farmers and Genuine companies to export and supply the vaccine to the farmers who can afford.

ne companies to supply those vaccines with the support from government vets.

The Writer is a CEO Go farming Uganda and co- Founder of Mukono Kwetu Dairy Farmers Cooperative

Paulntale2026@gmail.com