by Maxwell Chivasa
SADC countries need to develop a regional capacity to effectively control the spread of animal and plant diseases to achieve maximum food production and boost the economy, says an expert in animal disease control.
Economies of southern African countries are agriculture-based, employing about 56 percent of the labour force in the region. They contribute about 25 percent of the region’s gross national product, and earn 20 percent of the total foreign exchange earnings, according to SADC reports.
Analysts say SADC sectors responsible for agricultural and natural resources research, and that of the livestock production and animal diseases control, could do more to prevent the erosion of income and save jobs.
But this would require cooperation from member states in disease-control programmes, sharing information on the spread of animal and plant diseases towards borders and launching joint cross-border controls.
“This is a priority for our future in a region where agriculture, especially livestock contributes to the wellbeing of the people and food security of the region in many ways,” says Dr Fanikiso, of the Botswana based SADC Livestock Sector.
Besides boosting economies of member states, a disease-free region would improve the standard of living of the people as a result of good harvests. The sector is now working on a strategy recently approved by the SADC Council of Ministers, recommending measures that will control the spread of animal and plant diseases in the region.
The major animal diseases of concern to the region are rinderpest, foot and mouth, zoonotic diseases, African animal trypanosomiasis, tick and tick-borne diseases, contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, anthrax and Newcastle.
The most common diseases which have been reduced significantly are foot and mouth, tsetse-caused African animal trypanosomiasis, and East Coast fever. The eradication of diseases had enabled some countries in the region to revive old export markets for beef especially in Europe where such diseases immediately caused import bans. Recently, Botswana swiftly implemented measures to slaughter 200 000 cattle in its north-west district, in what analysts view as both an economic decision and a bold step to curb the spread of bovine pleuropneumonia, a contagious livestock disease.
“This can only succeed with a joint approach by SADC member states as the problem does not respect borders,” says Dr Fanikiso adding that new policies and strategies were now being implemented to eliminate diseases.
The disease-control programme ensures that the disease is contained in that country alone. Botswana’s action may see renewal of beef e. ports to Europe and other countries which import about 13 000 tonnes injecting an estimated US$4S million into the country’s economy annually.
The army and police were involved with foot patrols to ensure that no owners of animals would move their animals from the culling zones. “It does not mean the diseases have been eliminated,” Dr Fanikiso warned, “the threat still remains,” referring to control measures.
Training of staff to implement disease-control measures was an integral part of the programme to be continually addressed. Some animal diseases were recurring in the region due to the reduced funding from cooperating partners and member states.
It had therefore become necessary for SADC to merge some of its projects and incorporate the disease control element and boosting support to member states to increase smallholder and large scale farmers’ production from cattle and goats, animal draught power and forage production.
A workshop held jointly with the International Livestock Centre for Africa and SADC’s Southern African Centre for Cooperation in Agricultural Research and Training (SACCAR) in Botswana recommended that livestock improvement should be incorporated under the Livestock Production and Animal Disease Control sector.
This would strengthen production and distribution of pasture seeds and legumes to smallholder dairy farmers in the SADC region. The dairy heifer multiplication units would also be improved and boost southern Africa’s economies.
While member states were being urged to facilitate the movement of seed across national boundaries, the spread of crop diseases had to be avoided otherwise it would defeat the purpose of sharing seeds. A team of specialists in seed technology and control from SADC countries has been working on establishing a SADC technical cooperation network for plant quarantine for the past three years. The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) funded the initial workshop.
A regional seed technology and information centre is planned and estimated to cost about US$4, 17 million. It will provide training for personnel in seed production and plant breeding, processing and marketing. The centre would serve as a source of information on regional seed production and availability and on seed production and processing technology.
Southern African countries this year had bumper harvests after five years of consecutive bad agricultural season as a result of drought.
The region expects a surplus of 2.08 million tonnes of maize, which is the staple for two-thirds of the region’s population. Not all SADC countries had a bumper harvest, however, Lesotho, Swaziland and have a food deficit but these can still import from within the region.
About 2.5 million tonnes of maize may be available for export from South Africa. A SADC monthly update says that is enough to meet the total needs of maize-deficit countries of the region. (SARDC)
