EASTERN PROVINCE

NYAGATARE — The exposition of local cattle to wild animals from the Akagera National Park, has raised fears among livestock farmers in the Eastern Province of their animals contracting tick-borne diseases.  Wild animals straying in the area include, zebras, impalas and buffaloes.

Talking to The New Times on Monday, a number of livestock farmers around the Akagera National Park, said they are afraid that their cattle would contract tick-borne diseases from straying wild animals.

"Survival of exotic cows in farms around the Park needs extra attention because of the regular interaction with wild animals,” explained one of the farmers.

Contacted for comment, the area governor, Dr Ephraim Kabaija, advised the farmers to fence off their farms in order to deter animals from mixing with their herds.

"They should fence off their farms,” Kabaija said, in a phone interview. He stressed that constructing a fence around the park will be the only lasting solution.

The government has also indicated plans to construct an electric fence around the park. But farmers remain sceptical whether some animals like zebras and impalas which always graze with the cattle, can be stopped by barbered wire fences- in the absence of an electric fence.

Meanwhile, as the deadline given to the farmers to develop the newly acquired plots of land draws closer, farmers are worried that the government may repossess their unutilised plots.

The government gave the farmers up to the end of this year to have developed their plots, or else one loses the right of ownership.

On this, Kabaija said he asked the Land Redistribution Commission, which set the deadline to extend it.

In a related development, the farmers appealed to authorities to extend the deadline for getting rid of their local cattle breeds. They argue that they are financially constrained to put in place all the requirements for stocking exotic cattle breeds.

"It is impossible to meet expenses of, buying elephant grass chopper, land tilling machines and secure exotic cows at the same time,” said another farmer.

All livestock farmers in the area had previously been given up to the end of this year, to get rid of local cattle breeds, build modern houses, clear their farms and plant elephant grass in order to stock exotic cows.

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