The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries has unveiled a new policy aimed at controlling outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in livestock.
The State Minister for Agriculture, Ms. Hellen Adoa, says the new policy requires farmers to share the cost with the government, contributing two dollars per dose of foot-and-mouth disease vaccine per animal.
Ms. Adoa also noted that each dose costs approximately Shs7,000, and each animal requires two doses per year.
She added that the goal is to eradicate the disease, which has caused significant losses to farmers and the government due to poor animal products and quarantines.
“I can assure the country that with this policy shift, some extension workers will lose their jobs because you’re facilitated, there’s a budget for it and then you go and ask for more money. With this technology, even with just an ordinary phone, you can embarrass somebody,” Adoa said.
She made these remarks recently while meeting with stakeholders from the Lango and Teso regions in Soroti City.
