Farmers, NDA officials Clash over increased Supply of Fake Vet Drugs on Market
NDA Bosses,Dr. Kenneth Kiiza and Dr. Musoke speaking to the farmers
Mbarara | RedPepper Digital – There was real drama during the launch of the Farmers Parliament in Mbarara when farmers clash with Doctors from the National Drug Authority as farmers decry over fake drugs in the market.
The two parties face-off on the Farmer’s parliament where they blamed each other on fake usage of drugs that has caused the resistance of ticks in the animals.
According to Eric Rutahigwa, one of the famous farmers in Western Uganda told NDA Doctors about having failed to fight fake drugs that enter Uganda without a thorough cross-check on they are the best acaracide to use on animals.
He said that animal drugs have just been duplicated and fake ones being imported just recently, that during 1963, people in Uganda were mostly using deep tank system and there was genuine animal drugs.
“During that time there was the availability of good and genuine animal drugs used to bathe cattle. There was no existence of fake drugs, why is it that there is pretty of fake animal drugs in the markets of Uganda, doctors of NDA have to accept that you have failed your role and stop blaming farmers that they use poor farming practices. They are three people who have killed us, that is NDA, NMS, and those in Agriculture expertise like NAGRIC” said Rutahigwa.
He further blamed the Regional Manager NDA Kenneth Kiiza and his colleague from NDA Robert Musoke that as Doctors they have failed to direct farmers to the right doctors who treat cows and those who treat dogs, that as farmers from Ankole cannot share Doctors who treat dogs to treat their cows because these are two different things.
Steven Kakuru, one of the best farmers who came from Kiruhura, bitterly attacked Dr Johnson Nkuhe, the Chairman Board NAGRIC who was the guest of Honor on this function blaming him for having neglected farmers and suffered from ticks. That as NAGRIC they have not done something big to control ticks from farmers. That even the regional manager NDA has also helped nothing to farmers with poor acaricides that are used by farmers to fight ticks in animals.
“Why do you allow fake acaracide to enter this country to kill our animals? Nkuhe, why don’t you also allow us and borrow or buy your bulls from NAGRIC, we always see you selling those bulls to foreigners why don’t you sell us these bulls to increase on our breeds” said Kakura a farmer.
In response Dr. Robert Musoke one of the Doctors from NDA also blamed farmers that they use poor farming practices that that’s the major problem why ticks resist acaracide.
“Believe it or not you are using bad practices of farming and that has also affected your farming,” said Dr. Musoke.
“Mr. Rutahigwa you must stop that tendency of discriminating against other animals, Veterinary Doctors are trained to treat all types of animals, so stop thinking that dogs are not useful like cows, the same doctor who treats dogs is well trained to treat cows the same way and we don’t discriminate” he added.
He further appealed to Farmers that they must check themselves on the acaricides they use on their farms.
“You have to put in mind that all animal drugs which are in the market are working but it depends on the way you use it. But as NDA we are going to follow up on these issues to find out if there are some people who duplicating drugs or whether there is the smuggling of fake drugs entering the country,” he said.
Robert Kabatereine, the Coordinator of Farmers Parliament said that farmers parliament is meant to raise farmers’ voices. He said these during the launch of Farmer’s parliament on Wednesday this week which was held in Biharwe at Biharwe playground.
It is seeking government support to back farmers improve their farming systems and products.
“We intend to fill the gap between farmers and government, we bring experts like these of NDA to identify the challenges of farmers and these experts. If there is an issue of fake drugs in the market let it be solved and all these will be exposed through farmers parliament” Kabatereine
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