By Josephine Maseruka

The long-awaited livestock census kicks off today in the 80 districts around the country.

The census, which will last eight days, costs sh1.7b, according to state minister for animal industry, Bright Rwamirama.

“I appeal to all citizens to ensure that their livestock, including dogs and cats, are counted,” Rwamirama said earlier.

“People should not hide their livestock because this has nothing to do with taxation.” He warned that those who hide their animals would face the law.

Livestock refers to goats, sheep, pigs, poultry and birds, rabbits, cattle, dogs, cats, apiary and beehives.

The last livestock census was held in 1992. The lack of updated statistics had complicated the planning by the ministry of agriculture and the procurement of vaccines.

“Existing data are based on projections that do not take into account migration, disease outbreaks, civil strife and drought as they have occurred over the last 16 years,” the minister noted.

The new data would help the Government to effectively prepare for disasters and disease outbreaks, such as Foot and Mouth, he explained.

“We have successfully controlled the Avian Influenza in poultry and we can only be disaster-prepared with the right quantities of vaccines and drugs if we know our livestock population.”

The funding for the census comes from a $40m loan from the African Development Bank for the Livestock Productivity Improvement Project.

The project is aimed at reducing poverty by improving productivity and marketing in the livestock industry. It is also aimed at ensuring quality products for local and export markets.

The exercise will be conducted by 63 supervisors from the agriculture ministry and the Uganda Bureau of Statistics. District veterinary officers and statisticians will also participate in the census.