Agriculture Minister Frank TumwebazeBy Prisca WanyenyaGovernment is in the final stages of enacting regulations that will require all farmers to present proof of vaccination against Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) before selling cattle in any market in Uganda.This follows the refusal by some farmers to share the cost of FMD vaccines.The revelation was made by Agriculture Minister Frank Tumwebaze during the presentation of the Status of the Agriculture Sector in Uganda report at the plenary sitting on October 21, 2026.Tumwebaze said following government’s decision to cost-share the purchase of FMD vaccines, some farmers are reluctant to pay the prescribed fees, insisting on free vaccines, which has created challenges in implementing the programme.“However, a number of challenges have affected vaccine uptake. Notable ones include stakeholders’ insistence on receiving free vaccines, as was previously the case, and, to some extent, the indiscipline and/or corruption of lower-level veterinary staff who oppose the exercise due to their illegitimate commercial interests,” Tumwebaze said.“To mitigate this, the Ministry of Agriculture has developed regulations that will give force of law to mandatory vaccinations and compliance. These regulations are currently awaiting clearance from the Solicitor General. When they come into effect, proof of FMD vaccination will be a precondition for the issuance of livestock and livestock product movement permits, whether for sale or other purposes.”Biannual Mass VaccinationFollowing numerous outbreaks of Foot and Mouth Disease, government implemented a compulsory biannual mass vaccination programme for all susceptible domestic animals in a deliberate effort to eradicate FMD. This marked a departure from the previous free provision of FMD vaccines, which often resulted in only 2-10% of animals being vaccinated and consequent failure to manage the disease.Tumwebaze said government has established vaccine cold chain storage facilities at the National Animal Disease and Diagnostic Centre (NADDEC) in Entebbe and across 53 districts to ensure proper storage and facilitate veterinary officers to carry out vaccination. More districts are yet to be covered.“The farmer is expected to cover only the cost of the vaccine: Shs8,000 per dose for cattle and pigs, and Shs4,000 per dose for goats and sheep. With government support, 44,718,994 doses of vaccines were procured,” he said.“A digital IT system was developed with the support of NITA-U and participating government banks, enabling farmers to enroll with the assistance of extension staff, make payments, and have their animals vaccinated. To date, 80,000 farmers have been enrolled and vaccinated against FMD,” Tumwebaze explained.Anti-Tick Vaccine ReadyThe current compulsory vaccination is being supplemented by development of an anti-tick vaccine. Government, through NARO, developed the vaccine and established a local manufacturing facility at Nakyesasa with a capacity of 3 million doses per month.“All the necessary equipment has been installed, calibrated and fully validated and 5 million doses are in stock. H.E the President launched the facility and the National Drug Authority (NDA) issued a final approval certificate for the vaccine and suitability of premises. The Ministry and NARO are still engaging the Ministry of Finance to get more support to enable commercial production and rollout,” Tumwebaze said.In addition, the Ministry procured and distributed 13,000 litres of Deltamethrin to 41 high-risk districts in six sub-regions – Ankole, Lango, Acholi, Karamoja, Buganda and Murchison Falls. The chemical kills tsetse flies and other biting flies, and 4 million head of cattle have been sprayed.“Government also continues to intervene on a case-by-case basis and depending on resource availability to disease and pest outbreaks in livestock and crop sectors. Interventions have mainly targeted diseases/pests of economic importance such as anthrax, lumpy skin disease, Peste Des Petits Ruminants (PPR) and rabies in animals, fall armyworm, African armyworm and quelea birds among others in crops,” he said.4 Million Hoes DistributedThe Minister also provided an update on the distribution of hand hoes, highlighting that following the September 2025 Cabinet directive, the Ministry has so far procured and distributed 4,060,000 plain hand hoes to farming households across the country in 50 District Local Governments.“An extra 990,000 plain hand hoes are under procurement. We will continue acquiring and distributing these based on available resources until we meet the target of seven million farming households. For each district, the hoes are received by the CAOs and DPOs who are accountable in accordance with relevant government laws. I humbly appeal to colleagues to be patient with us especially for sub-regions and districts that have not yet been covered,” Tumwebaze said.Extension Workers ShortageParliament was also informed that following the salary enhancement for government scientists, pay for extension workers has more than doubled to over Shs4 million, but access to their services is hampered by staffing challenges.Tumwebaze revealed that while the approved establishment is 9,667 positions, only 4,310 are currently filled, leaving a shortfall of 5,357.The Ministry has procured and distributed 200 cars and 2,650 motorcycles to support mobility of extension workers. An additional 1,043 motorcycles are scheduled to be distributed in November 2026.The post Govt to Ban Sale of Unvaccinated Cattle Amid Low FMD Vaccine Uptake appeared first on Business Focus.