Check Animal Movement

A commercial bee farmer from Singapore has warned Uganda against allowing foreign bee importation without due scrutiny. Leow says if the government is not vigilant, foreign bee diseases like European Foul Blood, and American Foul Blood can easily be introduced into Uganda, whose African bees have so far been free of. The Agriculture ministry also announced plans to set up roadblocks to check unauthorised movement of livestock in the country. Although rules governing livestock movement in the country exist, few people involved in the animal trade ever bother to get the necessary permits from the veterinary authorities. As a result, diseases are introduced into areas that never knew them, where farmers do not even have the experience to handle the new diseases quickly. Since the age of relying on cotton, coffee and copper are long gone, the new sources of income and foreign exchange have to be protected. The reckless movement of animals must not be allowed to continue.Ministry of agriculture officials should give the necessary guidance and the expertise to the customs authorities so that imported fauna does not pose any danger to the local stock. The ministry should also not fall prey to traders’ tricks like offloading animals before reaching a roadblock only for them to be reloaded after passing through the bush.The checkpoints should be at strategic places.Ends