MASAKA, August 2, 2024 – The Parish Development Model [PDM] beneficiary poultry farmers in Masaka City are worried following an outbreak of a strange viral poultry disease that has claimed over 10,000 chicken in the city’s Nyendo-Mukungwe Division.
Under the PDM, about 134 households in Nyendo-Mukungwe Division selected the poultry enterprise as the one they would invest in to fight poverty but some of the programme’s beneficiaries have suffered losses due to the sudden death of some of the birds procured.
According to Masaka City Production Officer, Sheila Akello who doubles as the PDM Focal Person, Masaka City got over Shs 1.2 billion in the two financial years of 2022/23 and 2023/24, which money was distributed to various beneficiaries through their PDM SACCOs.
Each of the programme’s beneficiaries gets Shs 1 million to invest in the chosen enterprises like coffee, piggery, beekeeping, and fish farming among others. The money which is in form of a soft loan from the Parish Revolving Fund [PRF] is supposed to be paid back to the Fund after two years, accompanied with a small interest.
Akello confirmed that some of the poultry farmers have had their birds die of a strange disease, hence incurring losses.
Meanwhile, veterinary doctors and the disease control surveillance team under Masaka Public Health Emergency Operation Center [PHEOC] led by Dr. Emmanuel Kaggwa have camped in the area to verify the farms with birds suspected to be infected with the strange disease.
According to Dr. Kaggwa, the strange disease broke out in the villages of Mwalo, Kayijja, Kalagala, Ndegeya and Kitenga, all in Nyendo-Mukungwe Division and it was reported on July 30 after many dead layers were found dumped in the bushes in the neighbouring villages of Mitemula, Kako and Kaddugala. It was also learnt that at Mitemula village, a dog died after eating dead birds.
Lamula Nakasiita, a PDM beneficiary said she lost about 200 layers to suspected influencer within three days. ”In the last few days my chicken got flu and other symptoms of sneezing, coughing and diarrhea and twisted their neck before they died,” she said.
Respiratory symptoms: coughing and sneezing, rattling breathing. Increased respiration diarrhea, yellowish-green in colour and, tremors, and even a twisting of the neck.
An elderly woman, Sofia Namamugga at Kitenga village said all the 75 birds she purchased expecting to get huge profits from them have died. “I am now confused because I have lost all the start-up capital from the PDM,” she said.
Masaka City Veterinary Officer, Peter Ssenabulya said the have taken samples from the dead chicken for tests to confirm the disease. He advised farmers to continue reporting any suspected case of bird flu and sudden deaths of domestic birds.
He has also advised farmers to stop using unqualified persons to vaccinate their birds and should buy vaccines certified by National Drug Authority [NDA].
Under the PDM, government hopes to move 3.5mln from the subsistence economy to the money economy maibly through investment in the agricultural value chain.
https://thecooperator.news/lango-poultry-farmers-empowered-to-manage-their-projects-better/
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