From: wsargeant@igc.apc.org (Winslow L. Sargeant)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
Subject: IPS:Africa, Livestock face problems of
Date: 27 Jul 92 14:23:31 GMT

/* Written 12:07 am  Jul 27, 1992 by newsdesk in cdp:ips.englibrary */
/* ---------- "AFRICA: LIVESTOCK FACE PROBLEMS OF " ---------- */
Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Reference: Third World Dvpmnt
Title: AFRICA: LIVESTOCK FACE PROBLEMS OF FEED AND DISEASES


an inter press service feature

by andrew zhakata

kadoma, zimbabwe, jul 24 (ips) -- livestock diseases and the
farmers' inability to feed their animals adequately throughout
the year are the major problems facing africa's livestock today.

millions of livestock in the region have died from drought
due to a severe shortage of pasture and water, says the
director-general of the international livestock centre for
africa (ilca), dr john walsh.

''in sub-saharan africa there is a lot of feeds available
during the wet season but many farmers do not make provisions
for dry spells. as a result, they end up losing many livestock
during this period'', explains walsh.

walsh was speaking to ips at the end of a week-long workshop
thursday in this western zimbabwean town, 145 km from the
capital, harare.

the workshop on ''the future of livestock industries in
sub-saharan africa'' was attended by 40 livestock scientists
from botswana, burundi, ethiopia, kenya, lesotho, madagascar,
malawi, mozambique, switzerland, tanzania, zambia and zimbabwe.

ilca, which is based in the ethiopian capital, addis ababa,
aims at promoting sustainable livestock production in
sub-saharan africa.

the ilca director-general says many farmers, particularly
smallholders, still think they can graze their livestock the way
their forefathers used to do.

''but things have completely changed. grazing lands are
rapidly dwindling due to increasing human populations and
farmers must be encouraged to engage in intensive feeding
practices''.

farmers can conserve the feeds by making hay and silage from
maize stalks, wheat, barley, oat and rice straws.

''the farmers can also conserve by practising agro-forestry,
cultivating fodder, legumes and grasses. they can also make use
of by-products like molasses, cottonseed, sunflowerseed and
soyabean cakes'', says walsh.

unavailability of feeds throughout the year has resulted in
livestock losing weight, declining milk and beef yields and
deaths, walsh points out. (more/ips)


africa: livestock (2)

''this means that inspite of high livestock numbers,
sub-saharan africa has a shortage of milk products. already 11
percent of the total moucik)8' 8.09453''.

the ruminant herd in sub-saharan african countries include
162 million cattle, 147 million goats and 127 million sheep. the
bulk of these herds use natural pastures, says the u.n. food and
agriculture organisation (fao).

livestock contributes substantially to the gross domestic
product (gdp) of these countries where agriculture is the
backbone of the economy.

for the region as a whole, agriculture contributed 32 percent
of the gdp in 1988. output of livestock commodities -- eggs,
meat, milk, hides and skins and wool -- accounted for 25 percent
of the agricultural domestic product.

''apart from this, livestock also contributes to nutrition
and crop production, and are the primary source of cash income
on farms where they are raised'', walsh says.

animal diseases are also posing a threat to the region's
herd.

''trypanosomiasis, transmitted by tsetse flies, and
tick-borne diseases are common in the region,'' says walsh.

these diseases have resulted in many livestock deaths in the
region. direct losses due to mortality are valued at about two
billion dollars a year and an equal amount is lost indirectly
through slow growth, low fertility and decreased work output
that result from morbidity.

apart from limiting present livestock production, the animal
health problems retard the introduction of more productive
breeding stock and new technologies.

trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) is the most fatal of the
diseases, affecting both people and their livestock with the
sociological, medical and veterinary costs estimated at over 50
billion dollars annually, says walsh.

''no vaccine is available because of the phenomenon of
antigenic variation'', says walsh. ''currently, control of the
disease is largely dependent on reduction of tsetse fly
populations by insecticides or using trypanocidal drugs''.

the tsetse currently infests 11 million sq km in africa
(about 37 percent of the continent), affecting 40 countries,
according to the fao. (end/ips/az/apc/oa/92)


Newsgroups: soc.culture.african