Meat sellers allowed to resume with their businesses in Kabarole amidst strict guidelines

The Kabarole District and Fort portal city taskforce teams in charge of enforcing quarantine measures in response to the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak have relaxed restrictions to allow meat vendors to resume operations under strict guidelines.

Following the FMD outbreak, Dr. Anna Rose Ademun, the commissioner of Animal Health, placed Fortportal City and Kabarole district under quarantine on January 19.

As a result, trade, transportation, and the consumption of animal products had all stopped in the impacted areas. On Saturday, however, there was a good development for farmers and meat sellers as the stringent standard operating procedures (SoPs) were relaxed.

At a taskforce meeting with meat vendors and farmers, Fortportal Resident City Commissioner Hellen Kamwine announced that they are now allowed to resume operations for about a month.

Ms. Kamwine underlined how important it is to follow the SOPs that have been provided, and that if they are not abided to, the taskforce will reinstate the quarantine measures.

“We have not lifted the FMD quarantine, rather, we have eased some of the stringent measures we’ve been enforcing,” Kamwine said.

Among the recently implemented SOPs is the prohibition on cattle moving on foot between farms or to the slaughterhouse. Transportation would instead only be possible via cars and Tuk Tuks

Additionally, selling roasted meat and selling meat outside of approved town limits butcher shops is still suspended.

Even though some restrictions have been loosened, the Taskforce will keep up its operations to ensure compliance.

Richard Rwabuhinga, the chairperson of Kabarole district, stated that anyone bringing animals into specific areas of Kabarole and Fort Portal City needs to present proof that the animals have been inspected.

A letter from the buyer and seller should be included in the paperwork, and the village chairman must stamp each one of them.