FMD MENACE! Mbarara City count revenue losses as govt imposes animal quarantine in Ankole

By Amos Tayebwa

Mbarara

With Foot and Mouth Disease hitting several areas in Ankore Sub-region, Mbarara City Council has expressed worry over the loss of revenue collections from the slaughter centers, Butchers dairies, factories and Hotels.

This comes following the decision by City authority to embark on the implementation of Foot and Mouth Disease Quarantine restrictions against the movement of animals and their products like milk and meat from entering the Town.

Mbarara City is among FMD hit areas. Other areas where cases have been reported include Mbarara District, Ntungamo District, Ibanda Districts, Isingiro District, Kiruhura District among others.

Mbarara City Mayor Robert Kakyebezi has revealed that the restriction on animal movement and selling of meat and milk is going to badly affect the economy of Mbarara City Council as far as revenue collection is concerned.

That this will also affect some part of service delivery.

“I may not be able to calculate in terms of figures how much could be a loss by a result of this restriction or as a result of the FMD disease but the fact is that the City is going to lose millions and billions of money if the ban takes long here. We are looking at what happens in the City and what we get from the cows, goats, sheep and pigs. We have five milk factories which are operating and when these ones close automatically we shall lose huge amounts of money through revenue. We shall also lose money from the farmers who are supplying and when everything is stuck that will be a very big economic loss for us,” said Kakyebezi.

He added: “Two, we have over 300 butchers in the City and workers there. We have those people who are trading or selling and buying those animals to those who slaughter them, all these will be at stake and that is an economic problem where you find people cannot make any money now. We have very many hotels in Mbarara and these hotels buy milk, meat and people eat all of that and those hotels pay huge tax to the City Council, so we are also going to get problem now from hotel tax because they will give us excuses that they are not operating well which is an economic issue which we are facing as City.”

Kakyebezi tasked farmers to be vigilant enough to ensure that the spread of the disease is controlled.

According to the status report about FMD, Mbarara City alone has registered about 20 active cases across the city and these are detailed as follows; In Bunusya ward have registered three farms affected; Rwemigina ward are four farms affected; three farms affected in Rwenjeru ward; Nyarubanga ward has seven farms affected; Rutti ward has three farms affected and Rwakishakizi ward has three farms affected. he says all cases highlighted are being managed.

According to Dr. Moses Amanyire the City Veterinary Officer, since the outbreak, they have managed to hold special meetings to find strategies on how to manage the disease and sensitisation have been done; enforcement has been deployed to the ward levels to implement the restrictions; the City has also implemented the restrictions as per guidelines from the ministry and all the slaughter places, the butchers and the meat selling points have been closed and all the movements of all the affected animals have been closed.

Dr. Manyire has also revealed that the vaccination exercise of all the animals that are not yet exposed is still pending due to the delays of vaccine delivery by the ministry.

The City authority has therefore appealed to the Government or the ministry responsible to at least deliver the vaccines as early as possible to control the disease before it is widely spread in other communities that are not affected.

“The delivery of the vaccine like in the previous time is still a challenge that we actually get these vaccines after getting an outbreak and yet we should have got the vaccines before an outbreak. I urge the government and the ministry that we need to have these vaccines early enough so that we can always protect our animals and actually it not should be when we have FMD outbreak but it should be routine that we know every time every year we are doing vaccinations,” said Dr. Manyire, the Mbarara City (CVO).

According to the statistics by the end of the last financial year 2022-2023, Mbarara City had an estimated number of 14000 heads of cattle, 11500 goats and sheep and also around 20000 pigs.