A Taraba-based NGO, Ardo Yahaya Global Ventures in collaboration with the Alliance for Sustainable Livestock, has flagged off vaccination campaign for livestock across the State.
The Chief Executive Officer of the organisation, Hajiya Aisha Ardo, inaugurated the campaign on Thursday in Jalingo.
She disclosed that that the aim was to enlighten pastoralists on the importance of regular vaccination of their birds and other livestock against New Castle Disease for local chickens & Pest De Petit De Ruminant for small ruminants.
Ardo noted that the organisation had trained no fewer than 4,000 women and youths on how to grow local birds in commercial quantities in their homes using the best practices as a way of boosting their means of livelihoods.
She said the organisation also trained more than 20 livestock extension agents that would be carrying out the vaccination across the State based on demand from farmers at a subsidised rate of N50 per dose.
“Today’s program has drawn participants comprised basically not only women and youths, but also a few men across the State to enlighten them on the need to vaccinate their birds, especially the local birds against New Castle Disease for local chickens & Pest De Petit De Ruminant for small ruminants.
“It’s very important especially now that the harmattan season has set in, because this is when the animals are most vulnerable.
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“We had earlier set out to train 2,000 women but have doubled our target and have trained over 4,000.
“Now that we have trained them, we called on them to also enlighten more households on the need for them to vaccinate their livestock.
“We are covering the state through the over 20 extension agents that we have trained and are going to train even more”, she said.
Ardo added that the organisation was embarking on the exercise in the communities to complement government’s effort given the enormous pressure on government to deliver on its several responsibilities to the people.
Speaking, a deputy Director at the State Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Nathan Francis lauded the organisation for the initiative and urged the pastoralists to take advantage of the opportunity.
“This is a timely intervention and a relief since government attention is highly diverted and there is a vacuum in this regards.
“Moreso, this is when we usually have issues with the onset of the season, so this campaign is a wonderful development”, he said.
He pointed out that as a Ministry, they were contemplating a mobile veterinary clinic so that “they can reach out to many and catch up with their mobile livestock farmers.
“However, this is still at the initial stages and could take years to manifest, so it is such a relief that someone out there is working so hard to fill the vacuum”, Francis added.
Also, Mr Nasir Mohammed from the Small Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, said the exercise has created job opportunities for the youth.
He noted that the awareness campaign was apt as it affords the people the information they need to protect against livestock pandemics and other disease outbreak.
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