By Samuel Itsede
A Multi million Naira State-wide Cattle and small ruminants’ vaccination campaign, targeting over million livestock yearly, will commence in Kano, in November this year, according to a statement by Ameen K. Yassar,
Project Communication Specialist to the Kano state government, the State Project Coordinator, Kano Agro Pastoral Development Project, Malam Ibrahim Garba made the announcement.
“This strategic exercise is primarily to promote animal health by preventing disease outbreaks that can have a destructive effect on animal production, as well as on human and animal health”, he said.
In addition to farm animal productivity and food safety, vaccination plays an important role in human health through the control of some zoonotic diseases (diseases that pass from an animal or insect to human beings).
The Project Coordinator disclosed this while receiving the chairman, Kano Dairy Cooperative Union, Usman Abdullahi Usman and members of Falgore, Doguwa and and Watari Cooperative Unions, at the project office in Kano.
“Cattle and small ruminants, like other livestock, are vulnerable to some diseases. One key to keeping the livestock healthy is by implementing a proper and routine vaccination programme”.
“The vaccination is a very important intervention area of our project because it was observed that inadequate vaccination campaigns coverage are the major constraints to increasing cattle production and improving productivity”, he stated.
“I also want to inform you that the project will invest in commercial fodder production, construction of milk collection centers, improvement of cattle markets, through the provision of infrastructure, as well as the provision of reference laboratory, among others, as part of multi dimensional initiatives to improve the livestock sector in Kano”, Malam Ibrahim stressed.
“These efforts will reduce the number of nomadic animals, meaning a reduction in risk of conflict and increase in the availability of milk and meat in the state”.
He, therefore, urged cattle breeders to cooperate fully towards the success of the vaccination campaign in view of its importance.
Earlier, the chairman, Kano Dairy Cooperative Union, Usman Abdullahi Usman explained that the visit was to discuss how dairy cooperatives can effectively key into the Kano Agro Pastoral Development Project.
He urged the project to look into the possibility of investing in the improvement, processing and marketing of small ruminants milk in view of its high nutritional and health value.
