Livestock authorities manage Foot and Mouth Disease responses in Uganda and Cyprus

In Uganda, Agriculture Minister Frank Tumwebaze clarified that livestock farmers are only responsible for the cost of vaccine doses under a cost recovery scheme, rather than the full vaccination services. The government continues to fund the broader national Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) control programme, including procurement, cold chain infrastructure, transport, and laboratory diagnosis. Under the scheme, farmers contribute Shs8,000 per cow or pig and Shs4,000 per goat or sheep per cycle to maintain a revolving vaccine supply.

In Cyprus, veterinary services director Christodoulos Pipis stated that the recovery of the livestock sector following an FMD outbreak depends on farmers properly disinfecting their premises. Authorities have culled over 80,000 animals, including sheep, goats, pigs, and cattle, across 121 farms. Pipis noted that some farmers intending to exit the industry have failed to perform mandated disinfections, which risks re-infecting nearby businesses. Officials are considering options ranging from fines to government-led disinfections billed back to farm owners.