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'Our livestock industry is under threat' M£ ogriculture The Chairman, Nigerian Veterinary Medical As ~ peru in recent sociation (NVMA) , Oyo State branch, Dr Remi times hove raf.sed Egunyinka. highlights some oj the challengesJacthe alarm that the fll7e' ing the profession in recent time, especially the stock industry is an the tlll!'rge of collapse if cerproblem oj quackery. He also talked about how tain m ea.s ures 1DII!"re not emerging global health challenges, a new infec ~ taken. They al.so ex' tious diseases are t h reate n ing t h e deve lopment pressed th e fear that PII!'(erinory profession is of the livestock in dustry in t h e coun try. a m ong focing so m e other issues. Seye Adenlyl b rings t h e excerpts: difficulties . What i.s your take on these lssues 1 wanl 10 say lhal anUblotic reslslanC'C·s threatTruly. t.hen: I!i a big Ihn;:at to lhe livestock. indus- ens 10 leave medtcal and public health workers virtry of the country and many of us are awan: of this lually helpless In the prevenllon and trealment or fact. Also. the velf'T1nary medicine p rofessio n Is fac · many Inrectlous diseases . It would al~ Interest you Ing some challenges In recenl lime 10 the ext e n I to nOle thai milny of the mosl powerful a ntibiotics that II has become a headache to many stakeh old - we' know ha ve beell rendered Impotent . but unfortu ers like us nntely. this Is hilppenlng HI a time whcn fewrr new Con you h ighlight some qf 'hose c hnllenge:s drugs are being developed to replace: Ihose thai h ave w h ich you know lost their effttllveness or polency Emerging global health challenges art affectlllg Does thtd mean the new emerging Irlfeclious the IIveslock Industry In Ule country. You an: aware dlsea.ses are rehabilitating effort to curtail their lhat many livestock farmers have been crying aloud dangerous effecu o n the livestoc::k Industry and due 10 some problems racing them. Thls Is very per- euen to human beings tinent because of Ihe rettnt observallon , especially Well. In the contest of supremacy. Olle can say by many neld veterlnartans, that there appears 10 thill the microbes are sprinting aheHd. nle gap be a res urgence o f hlUlerto conquen:d Infectious dis - between their ahi llt y to mutate Into drug- resls eases. some o f which we were prevIous ly familiar lant strains and man's ability to cou nter them Is with WidenIng fast. The discovery o r antibiotics. the de Wha.t do you think is respon.slblefor the resur- velopment of vncclnes and more Importantly. the gence ofthae blfectiaus diseasa which you said Introducllon of sanllallon mc.asures coupled wllh are thneotenlng the liuestoc::k Industry oft.he COIlA- better undentandlllg of Infectious diseases epi demio logy. ha ve been Invaluable weapons In the Some of these dlscasC!ll are manifesting In a new fight for animal and human's health form. thus defyI ng the anUbtotlc remroles. Some vi W h at is re5ponslblefor 'he problem of drug ral diseases to which we were previously famnlar resistance In the preuenlfon and treatment of wHh are also changing In
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~~~~,~h~e:~:U,~n:, the deve.lopment o f vartani strains . NOI only t ha t. there 15 also the problem of Increase re pom of vaedne bn:ak . Cut In ... what co:n we say Is respon.slb le all these problems you are talking about AIl of U1CSC problems can be allrlbuted to changing global are n a. Human a cll vllies Bre changlngUlenaturalbalantt of ecological state and thts In tum Is affect· tng our environment adversdy: with resultant ha~h outcomes on bolh man and animals. These dynami c changes have now led to an unpredlct-
anlma.1 df.s:eG.5es? The probkm of drug reslstilnce I!'I nol on Iv due to distortion of Ihe ecosystem. "iomt' can also bf' ollrlbuled to the menace of quackery thaI Is threat enlng 10 eat Into the fahrlc of velerlnarv practiee In o ur country. especially In Oyo Stale when' I oper .to Buf ma.ny members of fhe public cannot (u;:t u ally dlUerentiate between a registered. trained animal health doctor or a quack. Can you enlighten them properly? I wish to Sia le It categorically to our IIvC'Stock fanners a nd the gene",1 public lI1Bt Uley rcse~ Ule nght to nnd oul Uu' personality o f whoever want to consult for them either on their farm or In Ihelrhouse A quac k can't give them dfective ilnd pnxluctive ser'
Mechanisation, necessary vehicle for transformation agenda -Expert I
production.- he said Steel Industry challenges is another ts.sue. According to him. TIle producer of prlmlll}' raw malertal (Iro n and stee.1). Is almost In 11011exlstence to the naUon. thereby . making the manufacturers of agrtcultural equlpmmt to dq>e.nd on tmported Iron and s led
Nigeria ICBN)Is not ~ accessible to fabrtcalo~ The Federal Government. through her a encll':!'l, a art from few orthem thc Raw Material Resear c h Development Coun ell (RMR DC). NCAM , NI erla Exporl 'Pr~mOtlOn Council (NEPC) and In terna lional Institute of Tro Ital A rlculture (lIT~J. are n~l helping the fabrtcatOnl to develop their ca clt.- he said. capa~ty building of fabrtcatonlis also in nonexis tence. Other problems Incude: Ule ImportaUon
of transformallon agenda wWeb is not stable. and diesel Is unbearably expensive . there.by making the cost of building equipment very high. The prtmary machines necessary for eqUipment fabrication that are available to Nigerian fabrtcators ~ ohMlete as lIley cannot afford the new and mode.rn cqulpmenls There Is also no fund ava ilable to the Nlgertan rabrlcators . The paper rund that was even announttd In the p~ by the Central Bank o f
Nigeria which 15 also a grant to private great threat to Nlgertan I':Tlterprtse to produce Ute fabricators . results of designed equlplJ!Cnt. research on agrtcultural Othe r sofullons equipment are not Include: eqUipment and re.adlly available. to - focilit y upgradin g for fabricators. private fabrIcators Nigerian fabri cators. ent~ cslDbUshment Egba further POSited can ·of' lrdusetJai parks : be described as a one exchange: pIOgrammt.: fIX man local government J the engineers In Ihe because he generate hls prtvate srdar 'N!UIIn and own power. produce h fa outside the country own waleribore h ole) and "Nigeria. It must be buUd his own road and emptl!l!llsed. Is a land fun a.1so expected 10 fund his or potentials and own rc.sc.arch. Yel. he III mecilRnlUltion of exp~cted to pay tax to agrIculture processes anoth~r government who will lead to the Is not Interested In his transformation Umt we welfare. desired: h e concluded
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HE na lona e c I' eta I' y, A g I' l eu It u r a I Ma c hinery and Equipment Fabr1catlon Association of Nigeria (AMEFAN). EngIneer Anthony Egba. has Implored government at all levela to come to Ule aId of the association and nnd solutions to the problemsconfrununglhe agricultural equipment fabrication lndustry In Ule. country. Some of lhe problems IdenUned by the expert include; land hoJd1ng and land yield per bectan: In NIger18 which 1II an issue 15
Government policies an not encouraging appUcation 'or (echnology In ag ri culture a n d the v\slo n and mls!!llon of Federal Ministry of AgrIculture. has no focus
on agrtcuJture ma~
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have led 10 the alterallo n Egba saId on the of the delicate and tnLn - a.,erage. farmers In cate relati o n s hip of NIge:rIa ha"'! a very !:Iman causative agents. envl- land portkxt to fann and ronment and the host. cou pled wIth poor • What are human and agrtculturaJ pmcUtt and veterinary medldne u - the yield per heclare Is p~rls doing to curtai.1 very small. t he outbreak and stop Il1ereJore. the use of the spread of these In· machine and equipment fectious dl.seases ~I!.l.'."not profitable .
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On average, pigs live for about 15 years
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Lack of enlrepre neurtal skill among lhe fabrtcators thai p~nt them from developi n g their buslncss to a suitable and sus tain able level Is also a proble.m. The ~mment ean address some of the above constraints and dlmculties lhrough the Federal Minis try of Agriculture and her related agencies by doing Ute following; platt an embargo on equipment that can easily be produced in the country: set asIde. protolype development fund ;
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vice like a traIned and regISle~ veterlilary doctor II ls only a \'f.:terlnary docllH' that cun luxurately dlagno5C the h eallh con dillon of IIvelltock and admlnlsler an effective treatment. A quack Is capable of ruining your life and busln~ because of hiS or her lack of understanding of dlsea.sc pro cesses, approprlale and cost effective therapy. as well as o lher needed and Ilec e!ll!llary !IIef1llce!ll In simple state menu. k indly define a qua ck for people to have a better under.uuodin!{1 Aquack ban untratncd IU1d unqualified per50JUlcl Impef'!llOf1aung 10 be whal he I!'I noL II!:: Is nol a veterinary doctor If h e has nol got Vetcrlnary Coun· ell or Ntgeria rvCNI mem o be,. What do you want the appropriate authority to do to curtail the opera-
Honal activities of quacks in your profes· sion? I Wish to advocate to IIpproprtate authorlt~ 10 begtn {he Im,"rolate 1':Tl' fon::emenl or the extanl laws. regulallng veterl · n ll r y practice In the country In order to Introduce sanity III the area of IIveSlocM IU'althcare deli very systelll bot h In Oyo Stale lind In Olhf'r parts of NigeriA