Poor on-farm practices responsible for tick resistance, says NDA’s spokesperson

KIRUHURA – Farmers in Kashongi Kiruhura district have been advised to put more emphasis on good farm practices to address the challenge of persistent tick resistance on their farms.

This was revealed by National Drug Authority (NDA) during a forum dubbed “Farmer’s parliament” where both crop and livestock farmers in Ankole sub-region are engaged to share their challenges and forge solutions on the farm.

During the meeting, Eric Rutahigwa, one of the successful livestock farmers in Western Uganda, tasked the NDA to explain why ticks have persisted on their farms despite several interventions in place.

Rutahigwa further blamed NDA on failure to control fake acaricides entering into the country through porous borders.

“During 1963, farmers were using the same drugs we are using today and their animals could not suffer from tick related diseases. Now, should we think today we have fake drugs entering through Congo and elsewhere?” he asked.

In response, Abiaz Rwamwiri, the Spokesperson NDA confirmed that tick resistance has been terrorizing farmers especially in the cattle corridor since 2012 especially in districts of Ankole and Nakasongola.

However, he warned farmers in Kiruhura district to start good farming practices to address issues of tick resistance in the area.

“Even if we protect the supply chain when the on-farm-practice is not good, it can make the drug not work and it’s that consistent misuse that creates the resistance,” says Rwamwiri.

Some of the farm practices include; types of pressure pumps used, the crash and mixing of acaricides.

“When some people are told to mix a litre in 20 litres, they think it’s a jerrycan, yet most jerrycans’ contents are more than 20 litres which means the drug will get diluted and it will not work effectively.”

Working with the Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), Rwamwiri says NDA is coming up with mechanisms of supply chain to track fake acaricides entering into the Ugandan market.

“Of course, we had engagements with Hon Frank Tumwebaze and he assigned a team two weeks ago. We are also going to meet the importers of the veterinary drugs to strengthen our operations because whereas we release good quality drugs on the market, we cannot say that there are no counterfeits. We know there are wrong elements that are counterfeiting the drugs and unfortunately some of these guys are professionals who have been helping farmers that started mixing the acaricides,” he explained.

“We release drugs when they are of good quality, safe and their efficacy is okay and now we want to make sure that the supply chain is protected keeping the drug in the intended condition because a good drug if not handled well, its quality can deteriorate and will not serve the intended purpose,” he adds.

Rwamwiri also says, NDA will extend village trainings especially in areas of Kiruhura where tick resistance has become a growing concern.

“We have made a commitment in Kiruhura because we realized they have more challenges yet with the highest number of cattle that produce close to 2 million litres of milk a day. Starting with mid-February this year to the end of March, we will be having intensive trainings in each of the sub-counties working with the DVO,” says NDA’s spokesperson.

“We shall be meeting farmers, identifying key farms that have the highest resistance and diagnosing because as National Drug Authority, it is our concern when people are losing their animals to preventable and treatable diseases like East Coast Fever, Anaplasmosis, and Heartwater,” he added.

Rwamwiri also warned farmers that mixing acaracides with agrochemicals is detrimental to both humans and animal health.

“Of course, there are issues of mixing agrochemicals like the dudus, the two in one pesticides that farmers are talking about shouldn’t be applied on animals because animals are like humans and their bodies are so sensitive that is why they are getting blind and infertile,” says Rwamwiri.

However, Rutahigwa insists that a number of government authorities have failed on the role of controlling fake acaricides which has sparked a common norm of tick resistance in the cattle corridor.

“Doctors of NDA must accept that you have failed your role to control and regulate animal drugs. And there are three people who have killed us, that is NDA, NMS, and those in Agriculture expertise like NAGRIC rather than blaming us farmers that we are using poor farm practices,” Rutahigwa emphasized.

Robert Kabatereine, the Coordinator of Farmers Parliament says, the forum is seeking government support to farmers to improve on the farming systems, boost product capacity and market for the products.

“We intend to fill the gap between farmers and the government. We bring experts like from NDA to identify the challenges of farmers for adequate solutions. Like if there is an issue of fake drugs in the market how do we resolve it, and all this will be exposed through the farmers’ parliament,” Kabatereine said.

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Masindi demonstration farm cows stolen

MASINDI – Cows belonging to Masindi district demonstration farm in Labongo sub-county in Masindi have reportedly been stolen following a lay off at the center.

The center was established to serve as an agricultural demonstration farm for the district.

Wahid Babyesiza, the area district Councilor says, six out of the nine cows that were at the center disappeared under unclear circumstances.

“This is negligence by the district leaders and the caretakers of the center which could have led to the collapse of the center that was meant to be a demonstration to the farmers in the district. Despite the theft of the cows from the center, no one has been arrested in connection with the crime. This makes me believe there could have been connivance by some concerned officials in district,” the angry councilor told theCooperator.

He adds that all workers were laid off by Masindi district without paying them.

Job Byaruhanga, the District Agriculture Officer Masindi admits that some of the cows have been stolen by unknown people who beat the center security officer.

“We have not yet ascertained who could have been behind this. We’re still investigating the matter,” he said.

Byaruhanga added that the district has plans to revive the facility and make it a true demonstration center for the district such that people can always go and learn new agronomic practices.

Cosmas Byaruhanga, the district Chairperson also confirmed the incident to theCooperator saying, something is being done to find out the people behind the theft.

However, he dismissed Babyesiza’s allegations of nine cows at the facility, yet they were six.

“There were only six cows at the demonstration farm and only three are the ones that were stolen,” Byaruhanga clarified.

“A case has been filed at Masindi Central Police Station (CPS) for investigation. All the people who used to work at the center were laid off during the latest restructuring of government workers in the country. The district executive has resolved to sell off the remaining 3 cows as part of the plan to revive the center into a better facility that will serve the entire Bunyoro sub-region,” the politician explained.

None of the authorities could tell when they were stolen.

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Minister Tumwebaze sets team to investigate fake drugs

KAMPALA – Frank Tumwebaze, the Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) has appointed a special team to carry out investigations on the alleged fake drugs in the market.

“We have put up a technical committee to study these issues of supply chain and other factors responsible for improving tick resistance. Farmers buy the drugs from the market but we want to study why farmers do not get value from their acaricides,” Tumwebaze said.

The Minister encouraged publicizing authorized drug shops allowed to sell agrichemicals to the farmers.

“I want to let you know that MAAIF, working with National Drug Authority (NDA), is going to intensify through the district authorities to publicize the registered veterinary outlets and authorized drug sellers and distributors such that farmers take personal responsibility before buying the drugs,” said Tumwebaze.

“If we don’t intensify our registration and publication of authorized drug sellers, fake drugs will continue to litter the market. The low prices will lure farmers and eventually suffocate them with poor outcomes,” he added.

Hon Tumwebaze further said, in the coming days MAAIF and NDA will issue and publicize all the registered pharmacies, veterinary drug stores through mass media and social media.

“We should know the drug pharmacies and veterinary drug shops licensed such that if you buy a drug from there, and it’s not working, you are able to report and we will hold that store accountable so as to crackdown on the entire chain,” Tumwebaze emphasized.

He also threatened to de-register all veterinary drug outlets stocking fake drugs.

“If they are the type of vet doctors who go and buy anything from container village yet they are licensed, then they risk losing their licenses and suffer associated legal penalties,” Tumwebaze said.

He appealed to farmers to patiently wait for the possible solutions to the alleged fake drugs.

“Just to let you know, we have not rested, the struggle continues and we are still waiting for the committees’ report to guide us on formulating our policy and regulatory reforms that is backed by evidence from experts,” adds Minister Tumwebaze.

Hon Frank Tumwebaze confirmed that there could be fake drugs used to treat animals in Uganda.

He said that he is shocked with the rate at which farmers are reporting about fake inputs in the Uganda market.

“I want to let you know that Ministry of Agriculture has noted with concern the growing number of reports on counterfeit agricultural drugs. The problem is mainly in the veterinary sector but also to some extent in the agricultural sector and most of the drugs do not have the required levels of efficacy,” Tumwebaze explained.

However, during the Farmers’ Parliament in Kiruhura, Abiaz Rwamwiri, the Public Relations Manager National Drug Authority insisted that the authority ensures that all drugs which are on the Uganda market both human and veterinary are of good quality, safe and working well.

“What we control are either drugs manufactured here or imported, and those we are sure that by the time they are imported, we have analyzed them and they are safer and meet the standards they are supposed to be,” said Rwamwiri.

He also reported that its possible fake drugs are still being sneaked into the country through porous borders.

“It doesn’t mean that there are no issues of counterfeit because some of them actually are smuggled into the country especially through the porous borders of Congo, Rwanda and Tanzania,” says Rwamwiri.

Speaking to James Ndibajuna, the Chairman Abesigana Kashari Dairy Farmers Co-op Ltd, blamed fake drugs on government’s changes in the ministries.

“Initially all acaricides were under MAAIF but today there are some which are regulated under Ministry of Health. Do you think the health of people is equal to the health of animals? ” explains Ndibajuna.

He added that counterfeit inputs have escalated due to the private sector taking full charge of Uganda’s market.

“The government decided that this is a decentralized government, so everyone is free to bring in his drugs and manufacturers. Different companies will produce similar drugs but with a different quality,” Ndibajuna said.
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Arua Central Market authorities allocating stalls to vendors

ARUA – Market authorities of Arua Central Market have started allocating stalls and other business facilities to vendors.

Dott Services Ltd and Joadah Consults built the multibillion market at the tune of Shs34.9 billion.

The modern market will host 5,012 vendors in its lock ups, stalls, banking mall, pharmacy among others. Also the market has other supporting facilities like electricity, water, television sets, cameras and various offices.

Sam Adriko, the Head of Finance Arua City who also doubles as the Market Master and in charge of administration and resettlement of the market vendors in the new market says, they have so far registered more than 4,000 vendors.

Registration and allocation of stalls and lockups are ongoing until it has officially been launched and opened for use.

He further said, the registered vendors include; those who deal in produce, dry fish, meat, second hand clothes, general merchandise among others.

According to Adriko, upon opening for use, the market will reorganize the city especially with the numerous mini markets that have been opened within and in the outskirts of the city.

“We hope that upon official opening of the market, the city authorities will move to regulate the opening and operation of other smaller markets so that customers are allowed to transact majorly in the central market,” said Adriko.

“I want to challenge the fish traders to join the rest of the vendors in the market so that there is uniformity, adding that soon the market at OPM shall be demolished. I also call on the hawkers and vendors along the roads to immediately shift to the new market to avoid inconveniences that may arise from impounding their goods,” Adriko said.

Adomati Dickson, the Deputy Resident City Commissioner (DRCC) Arua City says, the government has done its part. And now, it’s up to the vendors to utilize the market to transform their lives.

Adomati says, whereas complaints in stall allocation have already started trickling in, he advises the aggrieved persons to use peaceful methods in resolving their differences.

“We know that during allocation of facilities for vendors at the new multi billion market, complaints and concerns will arise, I want to appeal to the aggrieved people to always approach our offices and use peaceful methods to resolve their differences. We don’t want to see people fighting over spaces. It’s us to grow and fight poverty from our households,” Adomati said.

Adomati also warned city authorities against allocating stalls for themselves, and mismanaging revenues that will be collected from the market.

The Arua Central Market is expected to be officially commissioned by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. A date is yet to be announced.

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Government to start acaricide zoning to address issues of tick-borne resistance

KIRUHURA – The government of Uganda is pushing for acaricide zoning to fight the tick-borne resistance that has greatly affected animal industry especially in the cattle corridor.

Through Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), the government will fast track a special drug to kill all the resistant ticks before embarking on acaricide zoning to solve the problem of tick resistance in the country.

According to Dr Anna Rose Ademun, the Commissioner Animal Health in the Ministry of Animal Husbandry, government is looking forward to creating zones in all the four regions of Uganda to guide farmers on which acaricides to administer to their animals.

Ademun said this over the weekend while presiding over the farmer’s parliament held in Sanga Town Council Kiruhura district.

Farmers’ parliament is a regional forum which was recently launched by farmers in November 2021 to discuss and seek redress about the issues affecting farmers in Western Region.

During the meeting, most farmers were furious with National Drug Authority (NDA) claiming that it has not provided a solution to their animals that have continued to die because of tick resistance against alleged fake acaricides.

“NDA has totally failed to block fake acaricides on market, a reason as to why some of us have resorted to the use of agrichemicals. I will not continue seeing my animals die when I have not provided any solution,” Steven Kakuru, a farmer in Kiruhura bitterly said.

The commissioner blamed tick resistance on existing organisms which is part of the evolution aspect.

“Use of a single acaricide for so many years has led to exposure of the ticks to all the acaricide molecules. Ticks by nature develop resistance towards the drugs because they have an internal system within their genes which fights back. So, these type of rotation is now going to fight tick resistance,” Dr Ademun said.

She however, comforted farmers that the government has already approved funds of importing eprinomectin, a special acaricide to kill Rhipicephalus (Boophilus), which is the most devastating tick species that has resisted most acaricides in Uganda.

“In 2019, we tested all the acaricides we had on the market to find out whether the drugs are able to kill the drug resistant ticks. We also found that there is boophilus (fat tick), the most resistant tick in the population of ticks that are in our community which is really a glaring problem,” Ademun said.

“And we have also found that there is a drug which is not registered in our country called eprinomectin and we have already requested Cabinet to provide funding to be able to cleanse off the resistant tick,” she added.

“Since the government has already approved funds to procure that drug in bulk, we will start by using eprinomectin as an acaricide to kill off the resistant ticks. Then after, we shall roll out a cleansing exercise to eradicate resistant ticks,” Ademun emphasized.

She says, the Ministry is only waiting for the government to release funds to embark on the acaricide zoning exercise that exposes the ticks to one molecule.

Dr Ademun appealed to the farmers to welcome the zoning program when it rolls out massively in the country.

“Unless we work as a team and work at the zone level, whereby government should guide which acaricides to use, we are really going to fall into a mess. So, we have asked the farmers to welcome the idea of acaricide zoning because our nation is greatly surviving on agriculture,” said the Commissioner.

Dr Ademun also advised NDA officials and farmers to stop the blame game attitude but rather focus on addressing the tick related challenges on farms.

“This is a value chain of acaricides which covers the manufacturer up to the user at the farm. Therefore, the challenges in acaricides originates either from the manufacturer, importation distribution or at user level meaning that if the acaricide is not working; either it was not manufactured well, imported well, tested well or the farmer is also not doing his work at the farm,” she said.

However, Safari Magyezi, a livestock farmer who also doubles as the Mayor Sanga Town Council, insisted that farmers have followed the acaricide prescriptions but ticks have failed to die.

“Do you want to tell us that all the livestock farmers have failed to follow the drug prescriptions while mixing the acaricides? How come in the 1980s we had an acaricide called gamatox which we would use to spray the cattle and spend 15 days without seeing any tick?” Magyezi asked

Florence Bahikire, another Dairy farmer hailing from Kiruhura district encouraged the government to autonomously handle the business of acaricides to protect farmers from alleged fake products.

“How I wish that the government would take over the autonomy of managing and selling drugs to the farmers from one stock point rather than having so many private drug outlets selling different products including counterfeit acaricides,” Bahikire emphasized.

Abiaz Rwamwiri, the Public Relations Manager of National Drug Authority, appealed to the government to consider having a national drug store for proper vet drug distribution chains.

“The government needs to consider having a national drug store equivalent to National Medical Stores that brings in veterinary drugs and distributes through a proper supply chain upto local units like sub-counties where a farmer can be able to pay for the animal drugs at a subsidized price,” Rwamwiri explained.

He also asked farmers to stop using agrichemicals on their animals which contaminates the milk and meat products thus affecting the export market.

“Most cows have gone blind and research has also shown that such agrichemicals directly mix with milk which has greatly affected the quality and standard of Uganda’s animal products to compete in the international market,” Rwamwiri said.

Currently, agriculture employs about 70% of the population of Uganda and the livestock sector contributes about 3.3 % of the National Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

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Festivities and terrorism: ARLPI call for vigilance

GULU – The Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative (ARLPI) has called on the people in the sub-region and the country to remain vigilant as they celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and the New Year’s Day.

Their appeal follow recent incidents of terror attacks majorly in Central Uganda which has left a number of people dead and others injured.

Sheik Musa Khelil, the Acholi Muslim District Khadi says, most times terrorists tend to plan and attacks where people have gathered or plan to gather to fulfil their mission.

The district Khadi also says, since the current period is for celebration, people tend to gather and live a carefree life and are not security cautious which makes it very easy for the terrorists to attack.

“Most times people congregate from various parts of the world to have some time with their relatives and friends. When people congregate, they are usually not security conscious which makes it very easy for the terrorists to attack,” Khelil observed.

“Now as we celebrate Christmas and New Year’s day, my appeal is that we are security cautious of the terrorists and also the pandemic because we don’t know where our colleagues are from and whether they are positive or not, otherwise we risk plunging the country into further restrictions which will continue to hurt our economy,” Khelil adds.

Archbishop John Baptist Odama, the Bishop of the Gulu Archdiocese while speaking to journalists from Flight View Hotel in Gulu City West Division this week, rallied people not only to focus on their personal joy but that of the underprivileged people by sharing the little they have.

Odama, also the acting Chairperson of ARLPI said, the festivities should be for showing love, sharing and protecting each other from the country’s deadliest enemy, COVID-19 which has subjected many people to abject poverty as a result of the continuous restrictions to curtail its spread.

David Ongom Mudong, the Aswa Region Police Spokesperson in a recent interview with our reporter said, their security deployment will double over the festive season since people will want to flout the guidelines set to curtail the spread of the contagion which is also likely to expose the region to terror acts.

Ongom said, they were doubling foot and motorized patrols to ensure sanity in the City center and other towns and trading centers within the region.

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Ministry of Agriculture invests Shs 8.5 billion to promote coffee fertilizers

HOIMA – Ministry of Agriculture through Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) have launched a campaign to rejuvenateold coffee plantations in Bunyoro region through supplying fertilizers to registered farmers.

The campaign was on Wednesday launched by the State Minister for Animal Industry and Fisheries, Lt. Col Bright Rwamirama in Kyesiga village, Bujumbura ward, Hoima west division in Hoima city.

Dr. Emmanuel Lyamulemye Niyibigira, the Managing Director UCDA explained that the initiative is aimed at prompting coffee stumping in the region.

According to him, coffee stumping is the practice of rejuvenating older coffee trees by cutting all their main stems, to encourage new growth.

He said that when a farmer stumps his or her coffee plantation and applies fertilizers, its productivity triples. Lyamulemye also said, there are 2.2 million coffee trees but these trees are no longer productive because they are too old.

Lyamulemye added that under this initiative, UCDA will distribute 67,000 bags of organic fertilizers worth Shs 8.5 billion to 45,000 registered organic coffee farmers.

He challenged the coffee farmers to embrace organic fertilizers if their coffee is to meet world market standards in USA, Europe, Austria and New Zealand among others.

“We are giving out fertilizers to farmers to demonstrate that when you have stumped your coffee and you use organic fertilizers, you can increase productivity per tree, three to four times and that translates to money,” he said.

In his speech during the launch for fertilizers distribution campaign, Rwamirama noted that as the sector targets to increase coffee production from 8 million to 9 million kilograms, the initiative will help the farmers and the government to achieve this desire.

He called on the farmers to focus on modern farming to ensure that they increase the productivity of coffee through using fertilizers, planting quality coffee seedlings and seeking advice from the extension workers.

He explained that the usage of fertilizers among the coffee farmers is still low adding that as the farmers get introduced to fertilizer usage, there is a need to guide on how to apply it.

With the sector expecting targets to increase coffee production in 2021, the Ministry is focusing on increased production through effective disease control; promotion of smart economic practices, market access promotion and inspection certification, these priority areas will go a long way in enabling the farming community and government to achieve the desired transformation to commercials agriculture.

However, he challenged the extension workers to embark on their role of supervising farmers adding that it has been observed that extension workers are no longer doing their work as expected, yet they are being paid by the government to do this job.

He also advised that as they advocate for increased coffee productivity, farmers and leaders should prioritize the issues of post-harvest handling to ensure quality.

“When you produce, you must make sure that you harvest properly, when you have harvested properly, you must make sure that you dry coffee properly so that it is not contaminated and when you have harvested properly then you must store it properly, ready for market,” he said.

Isaiah Biingi, the Chairman Kyabigambire Coffee Farmers Association, commended the government for supporting them. Biingi said, coffee pests and diseases such as coffee wilt disease (tracheomycosis) and Coffee Leaf Rust (CLR), coffee berry borer or coffee borer beetle and the absence of extension workers are some of the challenges affecting coffee farmers in the region.

He further explained that pesticides are very expensive for the farmers and called on the government to intervene and get them subsidised pesticides.

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