The Minister of Agriculture, Frank Tumwebaze has appealed to the National Drug Authority (UNDA) to help fast track regulatory approvals for Sanga factory products.
Accompanied by Dr. Anna Rose Ademun, commissioner for Animal Health at the Ministry and a team of MPs from cattle corridor districts, Tumwebaze made the remarks while visiting the new Sanga Vet Acaricide factory at Namanve.
Speaking shortly after the visit, Tumwebaze said the factory is has the ability to rid Uganda's of the ticks problem.
The company whose products are under its name Sanga is currently in the process of securing approval from UNDA before the products can hit the market.
The company is engaged in production of acaricides (spray) and dewormers (to be added on product line by end of month) as well as a healing oil for animal wounds.
Tumwebaze also appreciated the fact that the private sector is producing acaricides from within the country, saving the government from the business of importing acaricides for farmers.
"I thank the Ugandan private sector who heeded president's call for import substitution manufacturing. The future is bright. The factory is state of the art and I have no doubt the ticks problem will be dealt with sustainably," he said.
Many cattle farmers have lost cattle to tick-borne diseases,.
Tick borne diseases account for between 30% and 70% of cattle mortality in the country, thus threatening the national herd estimated at 15 million.
NDA said common tick species in Uganda have developed resistance to acaricides (substance for spraying ticks).
