By Joshua Walakira
Sembabule LC5 Chairman Dr. Elly Muhumuza has clashed with Minister Joy Kabatsi regarding the management of the livestock sector and more specifically the quarantining which is regularly imposed on the cattle corridors to check on the rapid spread of Foot & Mouth Disease (FMD). During the full day workshop that Kabatsi organized Thursday at Imperial Royale to sensitize cattle farmers on beef production and cattle disease control, Muhumuza showed his displeasure during the plenary session as Kabatsi protested. They both hail from Sembabule district where Muhumuza belongs to the Sam Kutesa camp whose candidate Anifa Kawooya has always competed with Kabatsi for woman MP Seat. Muhumuza opposed the quarantine which restricts cattle movements and it’s always issued by MAAIF Commissioner for Animal Health Dr. Rose Ademun who Kabatsi supervises as line minister. Muhumuza claimed that quarantining, which has always affected Sembabule, hasn’t only failed to stamp out FMD but has also become breeding ground for corruption and extortion tendencies by police whose officers demand for money before allowing cattle to be transported to the market in places like Kampala. He said even the laws establishing quarantining are obsolete and should be repealed. He proposed that quarantining should be enforced on people’s farms and not on the roads where police extorts money to allow cattle movement even when farmers have cattle movement permits. He proposed compulsory vaccination and increased availability of vaccines to eliminate FMD and make quarantining unnecessary. Kabatsi keenly looked at him as he submitted but lost her patience when he made what she dismissed as total falsehood. “We also have a problem of vets. They are very few compared to the cattle population in our districts,” he said proposing that farmers get trained and permitted to supplement on the scarce vets by vaccinating their own animals. “Some of these are emergencies and you call for a vet who takes so many days to respond and by that time your animals have died.” He added: “Honorable Minister you come from Ntusi and there are over 20,000 farmers all of them served by one vet. Some farmers can be trained to treat some of the less complicated cattle diseases and I don’t have to be a trained vet to do some of these things.”
THE CLASHING ACT;
Kabatsi got the microphone and directly interjected as Muhumuza insisted on carrying on saying this was his time on the microphone. “How can you say something like that? We have enough vets and we recently recruited up to Sub County level. I agree this still isn’t enough but we have made some good progress,” Kabatsi said prompting Muhumuza to respond: “These are my views and in your case honorable minister you will have chance to respond to all the other questions that have been raised. Let me finish and then you will answer at your own time.” Having overcome Kabatsi, Muhumuza refused to surrender the microphone and insisted to make more points saying “by the way even though I’m a doctor for human medicine, I know these things too because there is a thin line between animal and human medicine.” Kabatsi let him be and waited to answer at her turn.
OTHER AREAS;
That temporary altercation notwithstanding, the over 150 farmers keenly participated and had all their concerns answered and more comprehensive interventions pledged by the MAAIF officials where necessary. In attendance were vet professionals from Makerere who guided discussions on how to increase beef production and enhance disease control. Other areas discussed included safe medicines, increased market access for beef products and how to overcome ticks that have lately been resistant to arcaricides leaving farmers very frustrated. Some farmers lamented to the extent of breaking down before Kabatsi who sat through all the discussions whole day. They unanimously thanked Kabatsi for her relentless efforts to reach out to the grass root cattle farmer. She assured them this is just the beginning of good things and promised more such interfaces which in future will be decentralized to districts ahead of one national workshop climaxing in Kampala. After Kabatsi made a powerful presentation in which she highlighted the opportunities to export livestock products and bring in lots of forex, farmers agreed to participate in the training of vet students by hosting intern students from Makerere at their farms. They requested Kabatsi to lobby cabinet colleagues to expedite formation of livestock farmers cooperatives to harness marketing and overcome exploitation by middle men. It was resolved all obsolete laws in the livestock sector should be repealed urgently. And speaking later at the closing ceremony, Senior Agriculture Minister Vincent Sempijja said wooing cabinet won’t be hard because Kabatsi is always very outspoken on livestock issues to the extent that ministers have nicknamed her something in recognition of her unending efforts to ensure livestock issues get adequate cabinet attention. Government also promised to help livestock farmers to access cheap financing to expand their businesses. NAGRIC ED Charles Lagul, who was thanked for the many reforms he has ushered in such a short time, too made a moving speech and gave out copies of the catalogue containing all the relevant information concerning cattle breeding.
KABATSI’S MESSAGE;
Away from Muhumuza’s diversions, Kabatsi referred to the agric-sector Strategic Plan (2016-2020) which prioritizes increased government investment into livestock farming. The sector is also prioritized in the UN-supervised SDGs and regional initiatives like CAADP both of which oblige GoU to develop the same. She read out a report that shows: by 2020, 3.35bn liters of milk will be produced in Uganda fetching $50bn. She said fish, which is part of her sector, is projected to have 674,028 metric tons exported by 2020 bringing in $6.4bn in foreign exchange. Beef production is projected to reach 360,000 MTs bringing in $1.6bn; pork 139,185MTs bringing in $421m and poultry 63,647 MTs by 2020. To achieve these targets, NAGRIC must provide high genetic materials, spearhead pasture development, intensify vector control, provide adequate water for valley dam construction, improve livestock infrastructure, stress labor saving technologies, value addition and market access. She also informed the excited participants about development partner renewed enthusiasm evidenced by generous contributions being made by the French, EU, FAO, AfDB and World Bank to the livestock sector. Sempijja, who came late driving from Victoria Serena in Lweza, said market wasn’t going to be a problem anymore “because the President recently wooed the Chinese president and the UAE to open their markets to us.” He said UAE sees this as the only way to reciprocate Museveni’s efforts to pacify Somalia yet he isn’t a Muslim himself. For comments, call, text or whatsapp us on 0703164755.
