PPR disease vaccine launched for sheep and goats

•The state has launched a countrywide PPR disease drive for goats and sheep. •Agriculture CAS launched the vaccine in Segera location in Laikipia county on Wednesday and said it wold safeguard the livelihoods of pastoral communities.

by ELIUD WAITHAKA

News06 February 2020 - 12:19

In Summary

•The state has launched a countrywide PPR disease drive for goats and sheep.

•Agriculture CAS launched the vaccine in Segera location in Laikipia county on Wednesday and said it wold safeguard the livelihoods of pastoral communities.

Agriculture CAS Linah Jebii Kilimo vaccinate a goat against PPR disease in Segera location in Laikipia County on Wednesday.

@Waithaka06

The state department of Livestock has developed a vaccine for PPR disease afflicting goats ad sheep and has started vaccinating animals counrywide, starting in Laikipia.

CAS for Agriculture Linah Kilimo launched the vaccine in Segera location in Laikipia on Wednesday said that the move would safeguard the livelihoods of pastoralist communities.

She also unveiled testing kits for use by livestock officers and farmers to diagnose their livestock.

They will be accessible e to all farmers give results within 20 minutes. Previously farmers had to send samples to a laboratory in Kibete.

Kilimo said deaths of animals from PPR hurts communities that depend on livestock.

Earlier in the day, the CAS commissioned a fodder storage shed at Matanya trading centre that would be used by farmers to store hay for feeding their livestock during dry seasons.

“Farmers are being encouraged to form cooperative societies to grow hay because it grows fast and they can harvest two or three times in a year and feed their livestock during the dry spells,” Kilimo said.

Laikipia Deputy Governor John Mwaniki said the county was keen to support local farmers by providing quality seeds for fodder growing and constructing more storage sheds.

(Edited by V. Graham)