Cattle farmers forced to sell livestock at giveaway prices while buyers have resorted to undercutting the prices saying they have to meet the high transportation costs.
Livestock prices have adversely dropped in many markets in the Amudat district as drought takes its toll in the Karamoja sub region.
A spot check by our reporter in the Karita livestock market found out that a cow which used to sell between shs 800,000 and 1,000,000 shillings is now going for 400,000 and 600,000 shillings. While goats and sheep for 80,000 and 100,000 shillings goes for 40,000 to 60,000/=.
The pastoralists attributed the price cut to lack of pasture and water for animals due to prolonged drought that has hit the district. Despite the price fall over poor condition of livestock, the designated routes by security forces have also affected the prices as cattle dealers try to balance the transport fares and the purchasing capital.
Robert Logir, a pastoralist in Amudat town council said that the dry conditions have pushed them to sell their livestock cheaply to reduce the number of the herds.
Logir noted that they used to rely on the grazing land from the neighboring districts of Kween, Bukwo, Nakapiripirit, and Nabilatuk before they were banned from grazing outside their district for security reasons.
He said the animals are dying due to lack of pasture and the only solution is to sell at any cost rather than lose all.
Julius Cherop told URN that the cows have emaciated and it has resulted in prices falling for the last four months. Cherop also noted that despite the price fall, there is low demand for livestock because of the poor health conditions of the livestock.
He expressed his fear that the persistent drought is destroying all the livestock and this may throw them into extreme poverty.
‘’The drought has affected even our milk production, I have stopped milking my cows because I noticed they were becoming weaker’’ Cherop said.
The livestock dealers have also resorted to cutting down the prices to recover the transport fares as they struggle to meet the security guidelines on the transportation of livestock. For example, traders from the districts of Amudat, Nakapiripirit, and Nabilatuk use Moroto to Soroti road. They are required to go through a mandatory verification of cows at the Nadunget checkpoint.
The traders said the guidelines are making them incur losses in a situation that has forced them to reduce the prices for buying livestock to balance the transport fares. Julius Okello, one of the cattle traders said that the transportation of livestock in the designated routes is costly.
Okello also expressed worries about the poor conditions of animals stating that the cattle are no longer attractive when they want to sell after buying.
‘’We buy cows cheaply because of transport and also its status, but we also find it hard to sell it out after buying because most of them are emaciated’’ Okello explained.
Alex Limale, the LC3 chairperson of Kongorok Sub County in Amudat district confirmed the crisis saying that the acute shortage of water and grazing pastures was caused by the drought. Limale explained that the value of cows has drastically dropped.
Limale noted that livestock is the only source of livelihood to the Pokot communities and losing animals to drought has greatly affected their economy.
He also observed that the drought has created a serious hunger crisis in the Pokot communities and the children are suffering from malnutrition since they can no longer get milk from cows.
Limale appealed to the government to find better solutions to save the remaining livestock by engaging the neighboring district to allow them graze on their land.
//Cue in : ‘’many many cattle……
Cue out : ‘’………..the cows are dying’’.//
Early last week, the leaders from Amudat district pleaded with the leadership of Sebei sub region requesting them to allow Pokot herdsmen graze on their land.
