Kapelebyong district demands for more foot and mouth disease vaccines

KAPELEBYONG – Authorities from the Eastern district of Kapelebyong have demanded for more Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccines from the Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) to achieve a 100% vaccination target.

This was made on Wednesday as the production department concluded the two weeks vaccination exercise against Foot and Mouth Disease.

The outbreak was confirmed in November 2019, resulting into numerous cattle deaths in the sub counties of Acowa, Akoromit, Alito and Obalanga.

After close to two years of waiting for vaccines, the government through the Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) dispatched them this month to vaccinate the cattle in the affected sub counties.

Emmanuel Opio, the Kapelebyong district Communications Officer told theCooperator that the Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries delivered 7,000 doses of Foot and Mouth Disease vaccines to the district which were shared amongst the affected sub-counties.

He said that they have vaccinated only 7,000 cattle from the four sub-counties which are the hot spots, according to the ministry.

However, he noted that the vaccines were inadequate to meet the overwhelming numbers of cattle and they have requested for more vaccines to reach at least 70% target in the affected sub-counties.

Statistics from the office of the district production department indicates that the four sub-counties of Obalang, Alito, Acowa and Akoromit have more than 20,000 heads of cattle.

Meanwhile, Raymond Ekita, the acting District Veterinary Officer (DVO) revealed that his office has written to the Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries asking for more vaccines.

He appealed for calm among the livestock farmers as the district waits for feedback from the ministry in regards to the request for more doses of the vaccine.

Charles Obongo, a resident of Ajeleiki village in Acowa sub-county said the concluded vaccination exercise is a relief to the farmers in the district.

“Since the Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak was detected by MAAIF officials in November, 2019, we have been losing livestock which are our only source of livelihood,” said Obongo.

Simon Opolot, another livestock farmer from Alito sub-county said the vaccination exercise had been long overdue and they were running out of patience.

WHAT IS FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE (FMD)?

Dr. Robert Ojala, the Veterinary Inspector in the Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries in charge of Teso-Karamoja regions describes Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) as a severe, highly contagious viral disease of cattle and swine.

It also affects sheep, goats, deer, and other cloven-hoofed ruminants. FMD is not recognized as a zoonotic disease.

According to him, the disease spreads very quickly if not controlled and because of this is a reportable disease.

Causes

Dr. Ojala said that foot and mouth disease is caused by a virus of which there are seven ‘types,’ each producing the same symptoms and distinguishable only in the laboratory.

“The interval between exposure to infection and the appearance of symptoms varies between twenty-four hours and ten days, or even longer. The average time, under natural conditions, is three to six days,” he said.

Dr. Ojala explained that the virus survives in lymph nodes and bone marrow at neutral pH, but is destroyed in the muscle when pH is less than 6.0.

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He added that Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks have been linked with the importation of infected meat and meat products and that the disease can also be spread by people, vehicles and other objects that have been contaminated by the virus.

On the side of the symptoms, Dr. Ojala outlined fever, blisters in the mouth and on feet, drop in milk production, weight loss, loss of appetite, quivering lips and frothing of mouth. Cows may develop blisters on teats and lameness as some of the symptoms the affected cattle presents.

Prevention

According to the Cattle Site, Foot and Mouth Disease is one of the most difficult animal infections to control. Because the disease occurs in many parts of the world, there is always a chance of its accidental introduction into an unaffected country.

Export restrictions are often imposed on countries with known outbreaks.

FMD outbreaks are usually controlled by quarantines and movement restrictions, euthanasia of affected and in-contact animals, and cleansing and disinfection of affected premises, equipment and vehicles.

Infected carcasses must be disposed off safely by incineration, rendering, burial or other techniques. Milk from infected cows can be inactivated by heating to 100°C [212°F] for more than 20 minutes. Slurry can be heated to 67°C [153°F] for three minutes.

Rodents and other vectors may be killed to prevent them from mechanically disseminating the virus.
Good biosecurity measures should be practiced on uninfected farms to prevent entry of the virus.

Vaccination

Vaccination can be used to reduce the spread of FMD or protect specific animals.
Foot and Mouth Disease vaccines must closely match the serotype and strain of the infecting strain.

Vaccination with one serotype does not protect the animal against other serotypes, and may not protect the animal completely or at all from other strains of the same serotype. Currently, there is no universal FMD vaccine.

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Nebbi farmers shun cotton growing over short term crops

NEBBI – For the last three years, cotton growers in Nebbi district have shunned cotton growing for short term crops like rice due to consistent fluctuations in the price of cotton. Most farmers say it has only contributed to their prolonged life in poverty.

Due to the continuous fluctuation of cotton in the world market, farmers have resorted to growing of short-term crops like maize, soya beans, water melons, groundnuts and beans with a sustainable income and result oriented nature which benefit farmers within the period of three months.

The farmers who are reaping from other short-term crops have their livelihoods changed compared to cotton growing where cotton farmers have remained poor for more than 20 years.

According to some farmers, cotton fetched low prices of only Shs 1500 per kilo which many producers say it’s a huge loss compared to the working capital that each farmer spends right from preparing the cotton field.

Oyoma Francis, one of the traditional cotton farmers in Ndhew sub-county, Nebbi district says, last season, he planted more than 5 acres of cotton with a hope of getting profits to send his children to school but ended up getting frustrated with both the yields and price.

“I have never realized any profits from cotton growing for the last three planting seasons due to price and poor seeds quality,” Oyoma said.

The farmers have been battling with low price for cotton commodity for the last five years with the price ranging from Shs 1000 to Shs 1200.

Oyoma further noted that the refusal by most traditional cotton farmers to produce the crop this season, may lead to shortage of cotton commodity since most farmers have opted to grow less tedious crops for easy management.

Another cotton farmer in Atego sub-county, Nebbi district, Franko Wacal says, in 2020, he planted 2 acres of cotton and spent more than Shs 700,000 but only harvested 300kgs which amounted to Shs 450,000 at Shs 1500 per kilo.

“Cotton growing is no longer attractive to farmers due to the production cost incurred by the farmers right from preparing the land up to the harvest time,” Wacal said.

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Wacal added that farmers had better soils and they had no reasons sticking to a crop that fetches low returns due to marketability and it’s labor intensive which gives no room to farmers to tap profits at the end of the season.

An official from the Cotton Development Organization (CDO) anonymously said, Uganda has the lowest influence with the price of cotton compared to the world market which has remained a consistent challenge to cotton farmers.

He adds that surprisingly for more than 2 years, cotton farmers have not been realizing good yields and returns due to the outbreak of jessed cotton pest which affected the quality and price of cotton.

“We are getting challenges with continuous fluctuation of cotton prices in the world market with only 5 to 10% of cotton being sold internally in the country but, 90% of cotton was mostly exported to the world market whereby the prices of the cotton are dictated in the world market which has demoralized cotton farmers, ” he said.

He says the country is registering low cotton production due to climatic changes and the fluctuation of cotton prices in the world market during the harvest season which has barred cotton farmers from growing the quantities needed to be exported to the global market.

But this year, the price of cotton has increased from Shs1500 to Shs 2000 and farmers still say, the price is not high enough compared to the workload at the cotton plantation.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Resident District Commissioner (DRDC0 Emma Onyango Okol says, cotton was among the top main cash crops in the country for the last 30 years but there has been a problem with prices after harvest which are so demoralizing and contributing to poverty among the farmers since its labor intensive.

Onyango adds that there is need to restore cooperatives society such that farmers’ problems are well managed to avoid exploitation of farmers by the middle men who take advantage of farmers’ ignorance while negotiating prices.

“Cotton farmers should be linked directly to cotton ginneries to avoid exploitation of farmers by middle men who take advantage over them. This has affected their economic transformation; farmers should be encouraged to form cooperatives,” Onyango said.

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Acholi leaders question the contribution of investors in community empowerment

ACHOLI – Acholi Parliamentary Group (APG) and Ker Kwaro Acholi (KKA), the Acholi Cultural Institution has questioned the contribution of the several investors in the sub-region on socio-economic empowerment of the community.

This was during last weekend’s Investors Forum organized by Acholi Parliamentary Group held in Vila Kazi in Got Apwoyo sub-county in Nwoya district.

Tony Awany, the APG Secretary for Lands and Investments says, despite the influx of several investors setting up farms and factories in the sub-region, the community has remained poor.

Awany faults some of the investors including Bukona factory which is located in Nwoya East for rallying farmers in larger numbers to plant cassava promising ready market yet they did not buy even a kilo of cassava.

“About three years ago, thousands of farmers were rallied to plant cassava because there was a ready market. But when the cassava got ready, not even a kilo of cassava was bought by Bukona which rallied people to plant cassava,” Awany notes.

According to Awany, several community members, especially those who stay around the factories, have been reduced to casual laborers who are mistreated and in some cases, not even paid their due allowances.

“We have heard cases of investors failing to pay their workers for several months and yet while lobbying for funds from the government; they claim they want to empower the community around them. One wonders whether this is an empowerment or adding more salt to their injuries,” Awany said.

Paska Achiro Menya, the Pader district Woman MP says, despite the government of Uganda through NAADs and the Uganda Development Cooperation (UDC). having supported the investors to set up their investments, the socio-economic status of the communities in the region who are used to lobby for funds from the government has remained miserably low.

In some factories, the owners recruit casual workers from other parts of the country and in some cases import workers from other countries other than training the community members to have the required skills and then employ them, said Achiro.

Anthony Akol, the Kilak North Member of Parliament who also doubles as the Chairperson Acholi Parliamentary Group says, as leaders, they have resolved that if any investor is not ready to employ community members in the Sub Region, they will not be allowed to operate in the sub-region.

According to Akol, as leaders, they want the investors to prioritize local content while employing workers and establishing various corporate social responsibilities.

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“What we want is that for any investor operating or who wants to operate in Acholi sub-region, they must ensure that they have local content as far as their employment is concerned. They should also design some corporate social responsibility activities which cause real time impact not just games per say like some companies have been doing,” Akol noted.

Mohamoud Abdi Mohamed, the Director of Agriculture from Atiak Sugar speaking during the forum says that most of the people around their factory are lazy and often opt out of the jobs even when given opportunity.

According to Mohamoud, depending on various factors, there’s generally low skills level from the community which has forced them to in some cases import workers from other countries. He says that in 2016, they imported 600 welders from India because they could not access highly skilled people in the local market.

Julian Omala Adyeri, the Director of Delight says, in some cases they are constrained by finances which make them struggle to reach the communities.

According to Omala, for Delight, they have distributed Ipads, seedlings among others to more than 3000 farmers in Nwoya district.

Ambrose Olaa, the Prime Minister, Ker Kwaro Acholi, says that in most cases, the cultural institution is left out by the investors which is why in some areas; people have continued to languish in abject poverty.

Olaa says that as the cultural institution, they have a clear demand from any investor who intends to establish an investment in the sub Region that seeks to ensure that the livelihoods of the community members in the areas are elevated.

Recently, a study conducted by Uganda Bureau of Statistics put the poverty level in Acholi sub-region at 68%.

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Government injects Shs 527m towards the completion of two health facilities in Alebtong.

ALEBTONG – Government has committed Shs 527m towards the completion of two health facilities in Alebtong district to improve access to healthcare services.

The health facilities were among the 60 in the country to be upgraded to Health Center IIIs by the World Bank program of Inter-governmental Fiscal Transfer in 2019.

The government awarded the contract to Otada Construction Company Ltd and the State Minister for Sports, Denis Hamson Obua, who is also Ajuri county legislator handed over the two facilities to the contractor.

More than Shs 1.2b was earmarked to undertake the construction and upgrading of Angetta and Awei health centres respectively.

The scope of the work was to construct a general ward, improve the out-patient department, construct two twin houses, and ventilated improved pit latrines and a medical waste management system.

But as time progressed, the work stalled and the contractor disappeared according to the area local leadership and the community.

The company abandoned the work due to lack of funds according to sources. The remaining work was roofing, fixing of doors, windows and painting.

The district LC5 Chairperson, David Kennedy Odongo says, the two Sub Counties had no health facilities and service delivery was being hindered due to long distances to the health facilities and high population in those areas. Angetta has 32 villages and Awei 48 respectively.

Through guidance from government, the district sourced for another contractor, Wangi Gen Company Ltd and started undertaking the work in August.

“Right now, they are at the finishing stage,” Odongo said.

“After completion, it will save our people from travelling long distances to seek health services.”

Angetta was carved out of Omoro Sub County in 2018, while Awei was split from Abako six years ago. The two Sub Counties had no Health Center IIIs and the community were travelling between 10 km to 12 km to access health services.

Besides, they don’t have a public secondary school as per the Ministry of Education and Sports guidelines.

The Angetta LC3 Chairperson, Robert Okullo applauded the government for the timely intervention towards the project.

“We were very disappointed when the company [Otada Construction] abandoned the site and vanished without informing us,” Okullo said.

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“They left the work at the ring-beam and since then, they are nowhere to be seen,” Okullo adds when contacted.

Efforts to reach Otada Construction was futile since their known telephone contacts were not available.

Another health facility, Ogwette Health Center II, in Otuke Sub County whose contract was awarded to the same company but was abandoned, has prompted the district to secure another service provider. Approximately, Shs 600m has been earmarked to upgrade the facility.

Peter Okweda, the Ogwette LC3 Chairperson says, the work started on a good note and they thought when accomplished it was going to address the problem of access to health services.

“One year down the road, it has become another big problem again for us as leaders and the community,” he said.

He says right now, a new contractor has been identified and they are just waiting to start the work.

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