Livestock keepers in Nyakatonzi Sub County and Kasese district have expressed worry about the excessive growth of the lantana camara shrubs in their grazing fields.
The shrub is a very adaptable species of flowering plant that spreads rapidly once introduced into a habitat and can inhabit a wide variety of ecosystems. It often outcompetes native species and forms dense thickets that suppress pastures and crops in cultivated farmlands.
Farmers in the Nyakatonzi area say that their area has now been inhabited by the species that is already suppressing their plants, turning grazing fields into shrublands. Steven Mbera, the Nyakatonzi LCIII chairperson, says that more than 80 percent of their land is now covered by shrubs, leaving pastoralists without pasture.
He adds that the weed has recently increased as a result of the prolonged rainy season.
Mbera added that they have tried to uproot the species but have been overwhelmed by its rate of growth and have appealed to the government to help the community deal with the invasion. Richard Kiiza, another pastoralist, said the community has continued to remove the shrubs from grazing land, but the plant has continued to spread.
John Mugisa, a cattle keeper in the area, said that a couple of years ago, the community suddenly saw the quality and quantity of grass deteriorating in their grazing lands and the conditions of their cattle suffering as a result. He adds that the plant chokes out native species of grasses and reduces soil moisture, subsequently affecting milk production.
Kasese District Vice Chairperson Ham Natuhwera, who is also the secretary for production, says the invasion of the shrub is a threat to the community, which largely depends on animal keeping for a livelihood.
Kasese District has an estimated 80,000 head of cattle, half of them in Nyakatonzi alone. The sub-county is home to 300 pastoralists registered under the Muhumuza-Nyakatonzi Cattle Keepers Cooperative Society.