24th September, 2016
The Yobe Government has vaccinated more than seven million animals against Trans-Boundary diseases.
Dr Mustapha Gaidam, Programme Manager, Yobe Livestock Development Programme, made the disclosure in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Damaturu on Saturday.
Gaidam said that the state government had also demarcated 1,000km cattle routes in the last eight years to prevent farmer and herdsmen conflicts.
“The state government through the Pilot Livestock Development Programme has vaccinated more than seven million herds of animals in the last eight years.
“We have also demarcated about 1,000km of stock routes to ease movements of livestock across the state to prevent farmer and grazer conflicts.
“I am happy to say that the efforts of the state government had produced positive results with no single case of conflict recorded between farmers and grazers for the past eight years” Gaidam said.
He said the economic recession had forced the government to cut its target of 1.2 million animals for vaccination to 627,000 cows, sheep, goats and dogs in 2016.
“We are vaccinating the animals against Contagious Bovine Pluro Pneumonia (CBPP), Black Quarter (BQ) and Pest Petit Ruminants (PPR) and, Anti-Rabies (AR) for dogs.
“Government had already procured the vaccines, it is in stock and inspected by the state commissioner for agriculture, ready for commencement of the mass vaccination exercise” he said.
Gaidam said the programme had developed a nursery fodder scheme with variety of grasses planted to improve animal feeds in the state.
“We intend to give out these grasses to livestock farmers to plant on their farms to improve animal feeds in all parts of the state to enhance dairy and beef production” he said.
The manager said that Yobe had untapped potential in livestock to turn around economic fortunes of the state.
“Livestock is practised in almost every household in Yobe State, there are potential through dairy, beef and, hides and skin to diversify the economy and generate huge revenue for the state,”