Uasin Gishu County government is working closely with Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research (KALRO) to cushion poultry farmers against counterfeit vaccines.
KALRO has given poultry farmers a reason to smile as they have developed a mobile application that authenticates genuine chicken vaccines from manufacturers.
Speaking during a courtesy call, the Acting Chief Officer for Livestock development and Fisheries Dr Philip Biamah said that through The Kenya Smart Agriculture Project (KCSAP) support programme, Uasin Gishu is among the two counties that were identified for the pilot programme of Fowl Typhoid Disease in poultry.
Fowl Typhoid is an infectious disease in poultry caused by the Salmonella Pullorum, the disease affects mainly mature or growing chickens with an incubation period of four-seven days.
“The innovation of the App will help farmers scan the information regarding the authenticity of the vaccines, boost user confidence, encourage wider coverage of the vaccines as well as increase the use of genuine vaccines in the value chain,” Biamah added.
Biamah further said that, “The vaccination is important in poultry production as it boosts chicken’s immunity faster and gives them longer-term protection against diseases to avoid losing them to diseases and preventing high financial loss”.
By Judy Too
