Addis Ababa | Tuesday
COUNTRIES in sub-Saharan Africa lose up to two billion dollars a year because of animal diseases, Ethiopian Agriculture Minister Mulatu Teshome said on Tuesday ahead of pan-African talks this week.
”The low level of livestock production due to various endemic diseases present … not only has depressed the marketable surpluses but also led livestock holders to keep large number of herds,” Mulatu said on the basis of studies carried out before agriculture ministers meet on Thursday.
He warned that this ”eventually leads to overgrazing and degradation of productive agricultural lands”.
African states are trying to establish regional cooperation to cope with cross-border disease, step up epidemiological surveillance and strengthen veterinary services.
Major diseases they are up against include Rift Valley fever, African swine fever and contagious bovine pleuropneumonia.
Mulata, speaking in a technical meeting in the Ethiopian capital ahead of the talks on March 21-22, said sub-Saharan countries lose as ”much as two billion dollars per year due to disease induced-deaths and reduced meat and milk production.”
”The situation therefore exacerbates the critical food shortage and environmental deterioration,” he said. – Sapa