Minister of Agriculture and Animal resources Dr Agnes Kalibata has said all cows with foot and mouth disease are to be removed from their owners adding that if all goes as planned, livestock markets will be allowed to reopen their activities at the beginning of next March, 2013.
Earlier this week, the Prime Minister Dr. Pierre Damien Habumuremyi had ordered for immediate action against livestock diseases following an assessment that revealed presence of foot and mouth disease outbreak “Uburenge” in Eastern Province.
The FMD disease was reported since the year 2012 in the districts of Gatsibo, Kayonza and Nyagatare.
Since then Livestock markets were closed and cattle movement was prohibited.
Kalibata said that in collaboration with concerned districts, these measures have been met so that until the end of this week, all cows suffering from this epidemic have been completely removed from the herds of these districts.
“So then, the problems of poverty of the inhabitants of these districts will be addressed” she added.
Mayors of concerned District revealed that the withdrawal from circulation of cows suffering from this fever is in its final phase.
Rwanda had been free of FMD for over 8 years.
It was introduced and spread across the country from Tanzania by the cattle which were coming to drink water in the lakes located in Gatsibo District.
Strategies were adopted to curb the epidemic so that the livestock market in this range will have to start its activities very soon.
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