Chairperson Emmanuel Kishe, says that the reduction of milk prices from 1600 to 800 shillings in 7 days has left them worried amidst of skyrocketing prices of all other basic needs.
He says the district has received 70,000 doses of Foot and Mouth disease in phases and since the outbreak, in January 2022 they have vaccinated 40,000 cattle.
Herbert Musiimenta, the Principal Agricultural Inspector with the Ministry of Agriculture says farmers should keep records of when their vanilla was pollinated to avoid premature harvesting and poor post-harvest handling.
Last year, the district council passed a Vanilla Ordinance that was aimed at regulating the growing and buying of the cash crop. However, it couldn't take effect before being gazetted.
Enock Beronda, a farmer says that given the few extension workers in the district, getting someone to diagnose animal diseases is very expensive. He explains that farmers spend a lot of money collecting samples from sick animals for testing.
The migratory pests have spread to the areas of Kikatsi, Rweshande, Kayanja and Kanoni, where they have already destroyed several acres of pastures, maize gardens and banana plantations.
Geoffrey Nkurunziza, the Bushenyi Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, says that most of these value addition facilities are not connected to power to run the machinery, which had rendered them idle.
The two projects are Kyebikara- Buharwe-Butenga and Kyera-Rwecwera Kitooma roads in Kagarama and Nyamuyanja Sub counties both roads connecting to Birere Sub County and have been contracted to Net world construction Limited, at 1.4 billion shillings.
Sino Modern Agriculture Development Group limited undertook the construction of Zhong Wu Beef abattoir at Nshara Industrial Park in Nyakasharara Sub County in Nyabushozi County.
Steven Kakooza, a Public Health Specialist working with Veterinarians Without Borders (Vétérinaires Sans Frontières)-Germany says already they are in their passive surveillance seeing humans developing resistance to antibiotics that are commonly used in animals. T
In June this year, the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industries and Fisheries lifted the six-month quarantine imposed on the district to contain the spread of FMD. The quarantine saw a ban on the sale of cattle and their products.
According to the State Minister for Agriculture Bright Rwamirama, the government has received 500,000 doses out of the 1.4 million doses that are expected to arrive this week.
Residents, who spoke to Uganda Radio Network on condition of anonymity for fear of security, said that they are still waiting for compensation since the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries assured them of compensation.
The dealers argue that they have taken time without registering any FMD associated death, yet farmers are still under restriction and cannot sell their animals.
Bright Nuwamanya, the Nyakashashara Sub County chief, says despite registering FMD outbreak in their farms, the farmers freely move around their cattle in contravention of the quarantine.
Minister Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempijja says it is prudent for the government to have the standards issue handled at a go and comprehensively, instead of tackling is sector by sector or stage by stage of the value chain.
He has also vowed to periodically publish the certified seed companies starting this month, and also the chemical inputs that are considered dangerous.
