Abia Govt. partners Federal Ministry of Livestock on pests control
Abia Govt. partners Federal Ministry of Livestock on pests control
The Abia Government on Monday says it’s partnering with the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development (FMLD) to checkmate incidents of Tse-tse fly and other pests in the state.
The state Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Cliff Agbeze, said this when the FMLD team led by Mr Gilbert Okoro, Team Lead, FMLD, Tse-tse fly Surveillance and Control Project, visited him in his office in Umuahia.
Agbeze was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Abia Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Adamma Aguwa.
Agbeze said the visit solidified the federal and state governments efforts to reduce the pests that destroy livestock and crop yield.
He said it also demonstrated a clear plan to boost agricultural output in the state and nation at large.
The commissioner said that the ministry staff was on hand to conduct the team to the sites where they would be executing the tse-tse fly surveillance and control projects.
Earlier, Okoro the Team Lead, said they were in the state to conduct a tse-tse fly surveillance and control operation.
He said the project was designed to curb trans-boundary pests especially tse-tse fly that threaten livestock production through the transmission of a disease called trypanosomiasis.
He said that tse-tse fly, an animal pest of cattle, transmits trypanosomiasis which causes sleeping sickness in man and cattle.
Okoro said that it also reduces the quality of milk and meat in cows and causes other health problems in man.
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He noted that the project is in consonance with the World Health Organisation’s (WHO’s) ‘One Health Initiative’ which seeks to boost the health of the farmer, improve his crop or livestock yield and the environment.
Okoro added that the project, which covers the six geo-political zones of Nigeria, was targeted at the three senatorial districts of Abia.
“Based on this, the team will be visiting Aba for Abia South, Umuahia for Abia Central and Lokpanta for Abia North zones.
“The project has been carried out in the North East zone. Abia is representing the South East zone.
“The team will be moving from Abia to Akwa Ibom which was chosen for the South South zone,” he said.
The group later visited the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Umudike, Umuahia to concretise plans for the commencement of their work at Umudike and other parts of the state.
The Abia Ministry of Agriculture staff present at the event are the Director of Veterinary Services, Abia, Dr Vitus Nwokoh, and the Director Livestock and Fisheries, Mr Victor Obasi.
Others are the Director of Epidemiology, Dr Onu Nwokedi, and the Head, Media and Information, Mrs Oluchi Franklin.
