The Mbarara City veterinary technical staff, in collaboration with various stakeholders involved in the pig farming and marketing industry, such as farmers, slaughterhouse owners, pork joint managers, and the business community, have put forward a recommendation to enforce rules and regulations related to the movement, trade, and slaughter of pigs. This measure is aimed at combating the rising issue of pig theft in Mbarara City, where the daily consumption of pork exceeds three thousand kilograms.
The recommendation emerged from a one-day sensitization meeting held in Mbarara City’s south division, organized and led by Dr. Amanyire Moses, who serves as both the head of the Mbarara City production department and the city’s veterinary officer. Dr. Amanyire disclosed that Mbarara City sees the daily slaughter of between 150 to 180 pigs, totaling an estimated two to three tonnes of pork, which are distributed to over two hundred pork joints.
Dr. Amanyire emphasized that pig farming is a profitable enterprise but requires increased vigilance to address the prevalent issue of pig theft, which is particularly significant in areas where pig rearing is a vital source of income.
During the sensitization meeting, the participants, guided by Dr. Amanyire, reached several key resolutions. They called for strict adherence to rules and regulations governing pig movement and requested that all pig farmers and traders provide livestock movement permits authorized by the district veterinary officer of the origin location. Additionally, they stressed that transporting pigs or pork at night should be prohibited to effectively combat and control pig theft.
To improve the transportation of fresh pork, the participants discouraged the use of burlap sacks and encouraged pork traders to consider using well-designed boxes for this purpose.
