Uganda Minister Champions Settled Farming to Combat Animal Disease

Minister of State for Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Lt Col (Rtd) Bright Rwamirama Kanyontore, is advocating for a shift towards settled farming and controlled livestock management. This move aims to significantly reduce the transmission of transboundary animal diseases by curbing unnecessary animal movement.

Speaking at the 13th Eastern Africa Regional Animal Health Network (EA-RAHN) Annual Meeting and the 12th Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) Annual Meeting in Entebbe, Rwamirama highlighted the impact of climate change on agriculture. “Climate change is real because of failed weather conditions and unpredictable weather patterns,” he stated, noting that unpredictable weather forces farmers to seek water and pasture for their animals, thus increasing disease spread.

The government is responding by initiating a large-scale plan to provide water for livestock and improve access to animal feed. Farmers are also encouraged to adopt water-harvesting techniques to better prepare for dry seasons.

Beyond infrastructure, the Minister underscored the importance of robust cross-border disease surveillance and coordinated responses to threats like Peste des Petits Ruminants, Foot-and-Mouth Disease, Lumpy Skin Disease, and Rift Valley Fever.

Joselyn Bigirwa from the IGAD Mission Office in Uganda suggested that while pastoral mobility is inherent to livelihoods, it needs to be safer and more regulated. “Pastoral mobility is not a problem to be eliminated soon, but we also know that pastoralism is not sustainable, given the challenges farmers are operating under,” she commented. IGAD is collaborating with Ugandan authorities on a program to support settled farming in the Karamoja cluster, a key region for cross-border animal health cooperation.

Discussions also involved representatives from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), who stressed the need for increased investment in veterinary services and transparent disease reporting to strengthen regional animal health systems. The three-day meeting convened various international and regional bodies to develop strategies for transboundary disease control, PPR eradication, and climate-resilient livestock practices.

Source: Nile Post