KAARO KARUNGI | RUKUNGI – Livestock Farmers across the country will need to form Associations for them to be easily reached by extension workers who will to impart knowledge regarding livestock nutrition.
This comes at a time when it has been discovered that most farmlands across the country have been invaded by plants with low nutritional value mostly Pasparum, lantana Camala among others while some plants may be poisonous or thorny and end up injuring animals on the farm.
As a way forward, the Rukungiri District Veterinary officer Dr Johnson Ninsiima, has urged livestock farmers to form farmer groups for easy access, adding that farmers can easily liaise with veterinary officials who would then impart skills and knowledge on livestock nutrition.
According to Johnson there is an increase in the number of animals affected by photosensitivity.
This is a condition whereby the animal’s skin is burnt by the sun’s ultra violet rays due to impoverished skin composition of the animal.
It happens when an animal eats lantana camala, whose contents weaken the animal’s skin.
Dr Ninsiima advised farmers to always keenly inspect their farms,so as to uproot and burn invasive plants
