E-SLIP’S ANIMAL DISEASE CONTROL INTERVENTIONS CHEERS FARMERS IN CHINPANGALI

By GLORIA SIWISHA

VETERINARIANS say that when an infectious animal disease is left unattended to, it can spread beyond the farm where it first occurs; cause damage to other farming businesses and subsequently pose a threat to public health.

According to the World Organisation for Animal Health, Animal diseases, impose direct costs on the livestock subsector as a result of animal deaths, reduced productivity, as well as the cost of disease control.

It’s for these reasons that the Government of the Republic of Zambia, attaches great importance to preventing and combating livestock diseases through various interventions.

One such initiative is the Enhanced Smallholder Livestock Investment Programme (E-SLIP)’s sustainable livestock disease control programme being implemented by the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock.

Although the said Programme is national in scope, implementation focuses on districts prone to outbreaks of the Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia or East Coast Fever (ECF),respectively.

Sustainable control of livestock diseases is important for the country’s economy as the livestock sub-sector contributes about 42% to the agricultural sector’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 50% in employment for rural areas.

In addition, the sub sector is being recognized as a potential key provider of food, nutrition security, manure, raw materials for industries, and as insurance in the case of crop failure.

Chipangali district of Eastern Province, is one of the beneficiaries of E-SLIP’s sustainable livestock disease control programme owing to its vulnerability to tick-borne diseases.

Interventions by E-SLIP in the District, involve the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, directing its energies towards improving smallholder farmers’ livestock management skills, through training and calf immunizations.

The Programme targets poor smallholder livestock households especially those headed by women and young people.

E-SLIP – which is a programme co-financed by the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD), the Government of the Republic of Zambia; and in previous years also the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID), aims to improve the production and productivity of smallholder livestock systems, through sustainable animal disease control, and sustainable livestock production.

“One of the challenges facing livestock farmers in Chipangali district is disease control due to financial limitations, lack of knowledge on the importance of livestock immunizations, long distances to dipping facilities, and inadequate livestock extension services in some areas. Therefore, E-SLIP is one of the good projects that have helped the Government in Chipangali district, to bridge the gaps with regards to animal disease control,” Acting District Fisheries and Livestock Coordinator Geoffrey Namushi, said.

He said the district’s 28,000 registered livestock farmers are equipped with knowledge and skills in disease control techniques such as spraying and utilization of dipping facilities.

Mr Namushi said the Programme also facilitates the immunization of calves aged 2 to 18 months against the contagious East Coast Fever.

“To create ownership of the ECF immunization programmes facilitated by E-SLIP, the project subsidizes the cost of the stabilate and antibiotics that are given at the centers where immunizations are conducted from. Therefore, farmers only pay K50 per calf for immunization, while Government covers the rest of cost,” he said. 

The farmer trainings on sustainable disease control methods have had a significant impact on beneficiaries especially women and youths.

Geoffrey Phiri is a 33 years old youth of  Change veterinary camp in Chipangali district, and a beneficiary of E-SLIP’s disease control interventions.

According to him, farmer trainings on livestock management and disease control improve the health of animals, as access to vaccines is made easy.

He said immunizations also help to increase the nutrition security and incomes of households, as well managed animals sell  faster and at good prices.

“Farmers that receive regular training, easily identify diseases and act swiftly to prevent them better than those that lack such knowledge,” Mr Phiri said.

He recalls however that cattle rearing was a difficult undertaking prior to the implementation of E-SLIP’s disease control programme.

“I started cattle rearing in 2012 as a way of sustaining my life. At first we had about 20 animals; but because of lacking the knowledge and skills in disease control, I have lost about 6 animals,” he said.

Mr Phiri believes that if he was exposed to the programme much earlier, his cattle population would have doubled today.

Mr Phiri thanked E-SLIP for the initiative but urged that the project considers supporting beneficiaries with dip tanks to ease control of tick-borne diseases.  

“Chipangali district is a newly created district and as such lacks in many ways; for example, we have no dipping facilities. We cannot fully prevent nor control livestock diseases without dip tanks,” he said. 

Women farmers are also appreciative of E-SLIP’s disease control trainings.

Charity Nkhoma, 25, and a member of Dalala Crashpen in Chief Chanje’s area said the monthly trainings had provided an opportunity for women to acquire the necessary skills needed to manage animal diseases.

She said she had also learned that cattle rearing was  not a business reserved  only for the men.

“When the men are out attending to other businesses, women can take charge by ensuring that the animals have secure shelter and proper nutrition by growing forage legumes like velvet beans which provides high quality protein and other essential nutrients. Livestock should also be given tags for easy identification and regularly  immunized against diseases such as “Chigodola” [ECF], to improve production and productivity,” she said.

Tomaida Phiri, 32, who is also a cattle farmer of Chanje veterinary camp said access to information on the importance of regular veterinary check-ups and immunizations, had lessened the negative attitudes that farmers have towards calf vaccinations. 

E-SLIP’s sustainable disease control programme is certainly bearing fruit in the lives of livestock farmers in Chipangali district.

But, what would be more beneficial for the livestock sub-sector in the long-term, would be for the beneficiaries to sustain the knowledge and skills learned through the trainings beyond the life of the project. -NAIS