Livestock farmers in Nakaseke District have appealed to the government to lower the cost of vaccinating animals against Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) from Shs. 8,000 per cow to at least Shs. 2,000.
Farmers say the current fees are prohibitively high given the challenging economic conditions, warning that this could discourage widespread vaccination.
“The cost is simply too high for us,” said Godfrey Kalema, a farmer from Kinoni Sub-county. “If it is not reduced, many farmers will fail to vaccinate, and the disease will continue spreading.”
The concerns were raised during a meeting at Ngoma Sub-county headquarters, where officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries visited to assess the status of FMD in the district.
Nakaseke, one of Uganda’s leading livestock areas with over 500,000 cattle, has been heavily affected by recurring FMD outbreaks, which cause significant financial losses. “We have been battling this disease for nearly eight years now,” explained another farmer. “Animals develop sores in the mouth and on their feet, become weak, and many die or lose value.”
Dr. Ben Ssenkeera, the national focal point for FMD control, noted that the government has already spent Shs. 427 billion procuring vaccines. He explained that farmers are required to contribute Shs. 8,000 per cow, Shs. 4,000 per goat, and Shs. 8,000 per pig to sustain vaccination efforts.
“The government has invested heavily in procuring these vaccines. Farmer contributions are necessary to ensure sufficient supply and effective disease control,” Ssenkeera said.
Despite this, farmers led by Nathan Bainomugisha argued that the fees remain unaffordable. “We are not refusing to vaccinate,” he emphasized. “We are only asking for a fair price that farmers can afford. Shs. 2,000 per animal would allow more people to participate.”
They warned that if the costs remain unchanged, some farmers may avoid vaccination or underreport livestock numbers. “If nothing changes, some farmers may even abandon livestock farming altogether,” Bainomugisha added.
However, Ssenkeera maintained that the fees would not be reduced, noting that the policy has already been approved. “Failure to vaccinate will only worsen the outbreak and affect Uganda’s access to international livestock markets,” he said.
Authorities also cautioned farmers against fraudulent veterinarians offering suspiciously cheap vaccines. “Farmers should be careful not to fall victim to fake service providers. Only authorized personnel should handle vaccination,” Ssenkeera warned.
Although Nakaseke currently has relatively few active FMD cases, officials confirmed that more than 56 million vaccine doses are available nationwide as part of ongoing disease control efforts.
