3,000,000 Herds Of Cows, Goats Vaccinated In Kebbi
From Ayodele Ajoge, Birnin-Kebbi
Governor Nasiru Idris of Kebbi state last weekend flagged off vaccination of no fewer than 3,000 herds of cattle, goats and sheep against animal diseases at Hutawa Fulani settlement in the suburb of Birnin-Kebbi, the State Capital.
The exercise which was carried out in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Kebbi State Ministry of Animal Health, Husbandry and Fisheries named the diseases as Contagious Bovine Pleuro Pneumonia (CBPP), Pest des Petit Ruminant (PPR), Diarrhea of small ruminants, and Newcastle Disease, (NCD).
About 10 million cattle, sheep and goats are targetted for vaccination against animal diseases across the State this year.
Governor Nasir Idris was represented at the occasion by Dr. Ahmad Usman Ambrusa, the Permanent Secretary, Kebbi State Ministry of Animal Health Husbandry and Fisheries.
According to Ambursa, the exercise was being carried out in collaboration with the Federal Department of Veterinary and Pest Control Services and Kebbi State Government.
He announced that the Federal Government has already provided vaccines for the programme to all States of the federation, but due to the high number of livestock in Kebbi State, its own share of the vaccines would only cover twenty-five percent of animals.
The Permanent Secretary indicated that Kebbi State has been blessed with about ten million livestock consisting of cattle, goats and sheep, adding that the state has been blessed with three million herds of cattle, three million, three hundred and fifty seven thousand herds of goat and three million, one hundred and fifteen thousand herds of sheep.
Dr. Ambursa explained that the government hoped to achieve between seventy and eighty percent vaccination coverage of livestock this year in Kebbi state.
He added that the State ministry of Animal health has evolved appropriate strategies to vaccinate animals of nomads without permanent settlement.
He, therefore, appealed to Fulani community to embrace the programme and cooperate with veterinary health workers to ensure that their animals remained healthy, pointing out that human health was interwoven with animal health with regard to the healthy condition of meat for consumption.
The Ardo of Hutawa, Dikko Anguwar Gagga, Aliyu Hakimin Gubuji, the Community leader of the Fulani settlement thanked the Governor for giving priority to livestock development and improving animal health in the State.
Dikko Aliyu pledged the loyalty and support of the Fulani community to the success of the vaccination campaign against CBPP, PPR and NCD.
