Ntungamo, Rukiga shut animal markets over FMD outbreak

Security and veterinary officials have suspended animal and animal product markets in Ntungamo District following an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in some parts of the district. The animal movement quarantine will also affect Rukiga District.

The Ntungamo Resident District Commissioner, Ms Marriam Kagaiga Mugisha, who chairs the disease surveillance committee of the district, said all animal markets, milk, milk products as well as sheep, goats, pigs and their products will not be allowed to move within and outside the district.

“We have come up with a painful decision knowing how it shall affect farmers. We have instituted a temporary quarantine on movement, sell, slaughter of animals and animal products in the district. We have identified Foot and Mouth Disease in some parts and we want to contain it by monitoring the parts where it is so that it doesn’t spread to other areas,” Ms Kagaiga said.

She noted that whereas many farmers shall be economically affected, this will go a step in enforcing discipline in trade and among farmers to ensure the disease does not spread.

“We agreed with Rukiga District that we suspend the markets. We shall start mounting patrols and check points on roads to enforce the quarantine so that at least in a month we see the progress,” she noted.

The Ntungamo District Veterinary Officer, Dr. Yaake Basulira, said cases have been identified in Ngoma Sub-county confirming suspicion of the disease that normally spreads during dry periods, calling for quarantine.

“We have confirmed cases in Ngoma Sub-county that we are monitoring and tracing contacts. Some of the contacts are in Rukiga District. Ngoma has a high animal population and is also on the border with Rwanda. If we wait for the disease to be spread to other areas, we shall have the whole country affected,” Dr Yaake said.

He noted that the quarantine shall affect cows, goats, pigs and sheep and their products since they are the animals that spread and are affected by the disease.

Slaughter slabs, butcheries, dairies and milk coolers, meat roasting centers will all be closed. Hotels will be banned from cooking and serving such products until May 27, 2026.

The quarantine comes just eight months after full opening of markets following intervention of Parliament that forced the minister for animal industry to direct reopening of the markets. For the past 15 years, the markets in the Ankole corridor have had challenges of different animal diseases including anthrax, Rift Valley Fever, lumpy skin disease, foot and mouth disease among others that at different times lead to closure of markets.

Traders and farmers say the quarantine will affect them economically since animal trade is their source of livelihood.

“Every time we start preparing for school fees markets are suspended, quarantines are even worse. This is the time we don’t expect anyone to tell us not to sell animals or their products. Some of us who had businesses were affected by trade order, we ran back to sell cows to recover, now markets are suspended, where do we go?” Mr John Mary Bitariho, a cattle trader, said.

Meat and animal products consumers shall be forced to be vegetarians or feed on fish and birds during the quarantine period.

Dr Yaake notes that anyone found with meat or any animal product shall be asked to produce a movement license in case it was bought from a district outside the quarantine area.