Gulu livestock farmers demand lower FMD vaccination fees
FMD is a severe and highly contagious viral disease that affects cattle, pigs, sheep and goats
GULU, August 10, 2026 — Livestock farmers in Gulu District have rejected fees introduced by the Government of Uganda for vaccinating cattle and other domestic animals against Foot-and-Mouth Disease [FMD], one of the most challenging livestock diseases to control in the country.
FMD is a severe and highly contagious viral disease that affects cattle, pigs, sheep and goats. It causes sores in the mouth and on the hooves, making it difficult for affected animals to eat or move.
For several years, government has covered the cost of vaccination whenever there has been an outbreak of FMD in a district.
However, under a new government policy directive, farmers are required to pay Shs 8,000 to vaccinate each cow or pig, while goats and sheep will be vaccinated at Shs 4,000 each.
Farmers are expected to pay for the vaccines through Pearl Bank and Housing Finance Bank before their animals are vaccinated.
However, livestock farmers want government to reduce the fees to between Shs 1,000 and Shs 2,000 per animal vaccinated.
During a stakeholder engagement meeting on the implementation of the Foot and Mouth Disease cost-recovery scheme and compulsory mass vaccination programme with officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries [MAAIF] on Friday, Dr Emmanuel Isingoma, a senior veterinary officer in the Department of Animal Production and Health, explained that the fees being charged are for the vaccines, while government will cover the cost of administering them.
He said government is already subsidising the vaccination programme by providing transport for extension workers to reach farmers, transporting and storing vaccines, and purchasing needles, syringes, motorcycles and fuel.
“Let’s all comply and ensure animals are vaccinated twice every year for the next three years so that we eliminate Foot and Mouth Disease. It’s the livestock farmer, trader, local government and central government that benefits in the end because of access to lucrative markets and increased number of animals,” Isingoma said.
He explained that President Yoweri Museveni does not want farmers to continue suffering because of FMD and that farmers in Gulu now have until the end of August to vaccinate all their livestock. Those who fail to comply will be barred from selling or moving animals and animal products.
Isingoma said hundreds of cattle had been lost during previous FMD outbreaks, with the most serious occurring in 2023, when outbreaks were recorded in 53 districts.
“Farmers were unable to sell their animals because of the outbreaks, and this meant that many were unable to pay school fees for their children, especially in the first term of 2024,” he said.
He explained that whenever there is an outbreak of FMD, government has to impose a quarantine on the movement of animals before embarking on vaccination, a measure that significantly affects farmers.
“Internationally, no country accepts meat or milk from places with FMD,” Isingoma said.
He said Uganda currently has about 44 million livestock, including 14mln cattle, 18mln goats, 7mln pigs, and 5mln sheep.
However, Walter Okello, a member of Gulu District Meat Producers Cooperative Society, said farmers had not been consulted about the vaccination fees.
He also blamed Balaalo cattle pastoralists for the recurring outbreaks of FMD in the district.
“Balaalo are the ones bringing FMD because our cattle do not cross Karuma, while cattle belonging to Balaalo are brought into Gulu District easily. Our animals are not allowed to move even within the region, even when we get permits,” Okello said.
He questioned how much farmers would ultimately spend on vaccination, considering that they also have to vaccinate their animals against other diseases such as blackleg and brucellosis.
Timothy Jokene, a livestock farmer, said the compulsory vaccination programme, coupled with the fees, would frustrate the newly introduced cattle restocking programme aimed at improving the livelihoods of impoverished communities in the Acholi, Lango and Teso sub-regions.
He instead asked government to allow farmers, through their cooperatives, to import the vaccines.
Patrick Komakech, the local council chairperson for Patiko Sub-county, said the vaccination programme was a good initiative but called for special consideration for the region because of its challenges.
“This is a good initiative. But we need to take special consideration when it comes to this region and its challenges. We did not have enough rain last season, and there is food insecurity, so enforcing this directive immediately will only frustrate farmers. I ask that we move slowly on enforcement,” Komakech said.
Komakech noted that the directive would mainly benefit Balaalo pastoralists, whom he said could more easily afford the fees.
In response, Isingoma said he would forward the farmers’ concerns to government but urged them to comply with the directive and take advantage of opportunities in the export of animal products.
The mandatory FMD vaccination campaign across Uganda targets about 45.5mln susceptible animals as part of a wider effort to strengthen animal health systems and reduce the economic impact of the disease. The campaign marks the first large-scale implementation of Uganda’s national vaccination model for foot-and-mouth disease. Government plans to carry out two vaccination rounds each year to gradually cover the country’s livestock population and reduce the spread of the virus.
Meanwhile, livestock farmers are also be required to register in a national database before participating in the FMD vaccination campaign. MAAIF officials say the registration process is intended to improve disease monitoring, strengthen livestock records and support more effective vaccination coverage across the country. The initiative is expected to help Uganda move away from short-term outbreak response toward a more sustainable disease-control strategy.
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