Uganda: Nearly 1,000 Cattle Die in Month As Drought Ravages Kasese

Nearly 1,000 cattle have died in Nyakatonzi Sub-county, Kasese District, in the past month as prolonged drought leaves livestock farmers without adequate pasture and water.

The crisis has also devastated milk production, with farmers reporting that daily output has fallen from about 40,000 litres to less than 1,000 litres, threatening the livelihoods of households that depend on cattle keeping.

The latest assessment comes about a month after an earlier visit to the cattle corridor found that nearly 300 cattle had died within two weeks. Farmers now say hundreds more animals have died as the drought has persisted.

Cattle keepers attribute the deaths mainly to hunger and dehydration, saying the weakest animals are unable to survive as water sources and grazing areas continue to dry up.

Ham Natuhwera, a cattle keeper, said farmers have struggled to save their animals because of the shortage of both food and water.

“The cattle are dying every day because there is no enough food and water. The weak ones are the first to collapse,” Natuhwera said.

The drought has also brought milk production, traditionally a major source of income for livestock-keeping households in Nyakatonzi, to a near standstill.

Kenneth Muyambi, chairperson of Nyakatonzi Cattle Keepers Cooperative, said farmers are now producing only a fraction of their normal output.

“We used to produce about 40,000 litres of milk a day or even more, but now we are getting less than 1,000 litres,” Muyambi said.

The loss of pasture has left many cattle severely weakened, pushing down their market value and forcing farmers to sell animals at a fraction of their normal prices.

Farmers say a cow that would normally fetch between Shs2 million and Shs3 million can now sell for as little as Shs150,000.

Natuhwera said some farmers are selling their cattle simply to avoid losing them to the drought, but the depressed prices have added to their losses.

“A cow which could give us two or three million shillings is now being offered as little as 150,000 shillings. Even then, buyers still want to negotiate,” he said.

The worsening conditions have prompted farmers to call for urgent assistance with water and pasture as they await more sustainable measures to protect livestock in the cattle corridor.

Deputy Resident District Commissioner in charge of Bukonzo, Lt Maate Magwara, urged farmers to remain patient as the government works on longer-term interventions, including the construction of valley dams.

He also advised farmers to reduce the number of animals competing for the limited pasture and water available.

“With the rains setting in, the cattle keepers should be a little patient as government works on long-term interventions such as valley dams. They also need to reduce the number of animals competing for the available pasture,” Magwara said.

Farmers are hoping the return of rainfall will replenish water sources and restore pasture, but they say immediate assistance is needed to prevent more cattle deaths and further losses to their livelihoods.

By Nile Post.