Socio-Economic Effects of Foot and Mouth Disease, and Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia
Outbreaks along the Cattle Marketing Chain in Selected Districts in Uganda (By Sylvia A. Baluka)
Abstract
Animal disease outbreaks and associated mitigation measures exert economic impacts on the livestock
sector and increase the cost of production, reduce the amount of milk and beef, reduce the farmer’s
income, and undermine cattle marketing by reducing cattle sales volumes and profitability. FMD and
CBPP outbreaks affect cattle owning households and actors along the marketing chain by threatening
their assets and making their incomes insecure.
The study determined socio-economic risk factors associated with outbreaks of FMD and CBPP at the
household level, market losses and financial impact of these diseases along the cattle marketing chain in
international border districts (IBDs) and inland districts (IDs). A cross-sectional study was conducted
using qualitative (FGDs, KIs) and quantitative (structured questionnaire) designs and case studies in
selected herds. Respondents were selected using simple random sampling from the sampling frame
comprising of 224, 173, 291, and 185 farmers from Nakasongola, Nakaseke, Isingiro and Rakai
respectively. Veterinary extension staff, local leaders and farmers for KIs and FGDs were selected
purposively.
A sample of 110 farmers was selected from each study district giving a total of 440 and 390 farmers were
interviewed. The major socio-economic risk factors associated with FMD and CBPP outbreaks as
perceived by farmers included uncontrolled cattle movements, communal grazing and watering points,
drought and socio-cultural practices (payment and transfer of bride price in form of cattle) and exchange
of cattle gifts. Statistical analysis was performed using descriptive, data summary and factor analysis
using Varimax rotation method by comparing loadings based on the uniqueness and Cronbach’s alpha
values, and multivariable logistic regression. Drought / response to drought was the most significant
socio-economic risk factor associated with FMD and CBPP. There was a very high negative correlation of
reported FMD prevalence with the cattle herd size (r = -0.832, p ˂ 0.001), average reported FMD herd
prevalence was 23.6% with no mortalities in large case study herds. Farmers with small and medium
herds incurred higher control costs whereas large herds experienced the highest milk losses during
outbreaks. Economic costs associated with CBPP arose from mortality and treatment costs. Mortality
losses accounted for the highest proportion of the total CBPP economic cost for all herds. IDs earned very
highly significant income (p<0.001), 72.7% of the grand total potential income earned by all study
districts. IBDs incurred significantly less total income losses due to FMD/CBPP outbreaks (P<0.001),
47.2% of the grand total losses as compared to IDs. The total income earned by the actors per month at
the processing level reduced to 5% during outbreaks.
During FMD outbreaks in Isingiro, bulls and cows were salvage sold at 83% and 88% less market value
respectively, amounting to a loss of $196.1 in small cattle herd sized farms and $1,552.9 in medium farms
annually. No cattle were salvage sold in the large farms. In Nakasogola district, CBPP financial losses
due to reduction of milk sales during a six month quarantine period ranged from $105.1 to $209.4. There
was 31.2% revenue reduction from cattle markets in all study districts of which 52% of the losses were
incurred in Nakasogola due to CBPP, 35.9% in Isingiro district due to FMD and 11.2% in Nakaseke due
to FMD. About 48.8% of losses ($223,215.7) were due to CBPP outbreaks in Nakasongola and 52.2% of
losses ($244,215.1) were due FMD in Isingiro, Nakaseke and Nakasogola. FMD outbreaks were more
wide spread. Smallholders incurred higher costs of controlling FMD and CBPP. Treatment costs were
higher than vaccination costs. IDs earned more income from cattle markets and suffered more marketing
losses than IBDs.
Farmers should invest in vaccination rather than wait to incur higher treatment costs. Cattle marketing
chain actors should be sensitized and motivated to invest in appropriate prevention and control measures.
GOU must retain the responsibility for prevention and control of these diseases. Interventions should
address drought: provide adequate and sustainable water sources for livestock farmers. Vaccination
against FMD and CBPP should focus at the national level and North-eastern districts respectively.