Teso farmers urged to embrace new vaccination policy for livestock
Under the new cost-sharing arrangement, farmers will pay a subsidised fee of Shs 8,000 per cow or pig and Shs 4,000 per goat or sheep
SOROTI, June 17, 2026 — Farmers in the Iteso Sub-region have been urged to embrace government’s revised livestock vaccination policy, with officials stating that the fees being introduced will help government to respond quickly to diseases like control foot-and-mouth disease [FMD] and keep the livestock market active.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries [MAAIF] is enforcing compulsory biannual FMD vaccinations and strict livestock quarantine measures across the country to curb the spread of the highly contagious disease, which continues to cause significant livestock losses, particularly within Uganda’s cattle corridor.
Under the new cost-sharing arrangement, farmers will pay a subsidised fee of Shs 8,000 per cow or pig and Shs 4,000 per goat or sheep. Animals that are not vaccinated will not be permitted to access livestock markets.
Speaking during an engagement meeting with local leaders, farmer representatives and veterinary officers at Soroti district headquarters on Tuesday, Dr Paul Lumu, a Senior Veterinary Officer at MAAIF, said the programme is intended to guarantee a sustainable supply of vaccines and reduce recurring outbreaks through timely vaccination.
“I am encouraging farmers to embrace this programme because it is going to help you access lucrative markets,” Lumu said.
He noted that Uganda’s cattle population has increased to 17.5 million from 14.5mln and warned that continued growth, without effective disease control, risks triggering more outbreaks, quarantines and restrictions on livestock trade.
Lumu said livestock would be vaccinated twice annually and issued with certification to facilitate free movement of animals.
He urged farmers to cooperate with veterinary officers by registering their animals and providing accurate information for inclusion in the national livestock database.
Some farmers who attended the meeting welcomed the initiative.
Martin Alomu, a farmer, said livestock diseases continue to undermine farmers’ livelihoods and expressed hope that the government-led vaccination programme would reduce losses.
He added that some farmers in the area had previously sourced livestock vaccines from Kenya because government supplies under the free vaccination programme often arrived late.
“This has come at the right time if government is going to involve farmers directly because it is going to save us a lot,” Alomu said.
Joseph Okwanga, a farmer from Katine Sub-county in Soroti District, welcomed the introduction of vaccination certificates, saying they would help curb the illegal movement of animals across districts.
He noted that unregulated livestock movement remains a major driver of disease transmission and said faster access to vaccines would make it easier for farmers to comply with quarantine measures.
However, Okwanga urged the government to review the vaccination charges, arguing that farmers should have been consulted to agree on a more affordable rate that would enable consistent participation.
The Assistant Resident District Commissioner, Soroti district, Victoria Mutai, appealed to local leaders and veterinary officers to provide accurate information to communities and avoid inflating figures.
Mutai also said the initiative could help reduce livestock theft, explaining that proper vaccination and identification would make it more difficult for stolen animals to be transported or sold undetected.
Meanwhile, Soroti District LCV Chairperson Bob Owiny said the shortage of extension workers continues to undermine service delivery, noting that the current number of veterinary officers is insufficient to effectively serve the growing livestock population.
According to the official National Livestock Census Report published by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics [UBOS], the Teso sub-region has approximately 1.4 million cattle and 405,000 sheep, accounting for roughly 9.7 percent of Uganda’s total cattle herd.
Teso also has the highest percentage of livestock-owning households in the country, with 88.1 percent of families keeping livestock.
Cattle: 1.4 million. Teso accounts for 9.7 percent of the 14.5mln national cattle population.
Sheep: 405,000 . Teso is the second highest sub-region in Uganda, contributing 9.3 per cent to the national sheep herd.
Goats & Poultry: Kept widely across the region by smallholder farmers for food security and domestic income.
Exotic/Cross Breeds: Less than 0.5 per cent. Over 99 per cent of Teso’s livestock consists of resilient, indigenous breeds.
https://thecooperator.news/govt-introduces-cost-sharing-policy-for-fmd-vaccination/
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