Residents of Apac district have resorted to cutting down the pawpaw trees in fear that they could be carriers of coronavirus pandemic.
The residents of Ongica and Atigolwok parishes in Apac district have cut down over hundreds of pawpaw trees over misconceptions that they are carriers of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
It's reported that about two thousand residents descended on the pawpaw trees and cut them down on the directives of their local leaders.
The local leaders reportedly set a fine of Shs 50,000 for whoever fails to comply with the directive.
Speaking to journalists, Francis Okol, a resident of Abwal A village in Ongica parish says that the move to cut down the papaws followed a disease outbreak that dries off the fruit.
He says that the disease that is yet to be identified by agricultural experts was confused with former Tanzanian President John Pombe Magafuli’s statement on finding Covid-19 in pawpaw and goat meat samples after someone mentioned it on radio.
Akol says in his area alone about 164 households had already cut down their papaw trees by Monday, which they have been depending on during food shortage.
