The department of Livestock and Fisheries in Baringo in collaboration with Regional Pastoral Livelihood Resilience (RPLR) project has distributed about 169 Galla bucks to targeted households in Bartabwa ward of Baringo North Sub County.
Deputy county director of veterinary services Dr Esmond Kiptum said the improved breeds purchased through a World Bank grant are meant to help local livestock farmers improve their local breeds for better returns.
Dr Kiptum stated that the distribution exercise geared to cover the entire lower parts of Baringo North and South and Tiaty is to assist farmers raise quality goats for meat production as the county readied itself to operationalize the near complete construction of a mega Maoi abattoir in Baringo South Sub County which will guarantee value addition and export market.
“These young improved breeds are adaptive and fetch higher prizes in the market compared to indigenous ones thus creating wealth to our farmers,” he said.
The deputy director was speaking on Friday while receiving the Galla buck goats bought in Isiolo by the county government in conjunction with Regional Pastoral Livelihood Resilience project sponsored by the World Bank.
He said that they ensured the improved breed of goats have been tested and vaccinated against Peste des petitis ruminant (PPR) virus before being handed over to the targeted beneficiaries in order to avoid cross border transmission of the deadly livestock disease.
Dr. Kiptum announced that the department plans to vaccinate over 1.2 million livestock across the seven counties in the area against PPR disease to ensure it is fully eradicated by 2022.
County surveillance officer Jeremiah Kipsang added that the county will soon mount a compulsory routine vaccination of animals in the region in order to prevent recurrent outbreaks resulting in high treatment costs and losses.
John Kipkurui, a farmer, who witnessed the distribution exercise has thanked the department for being in the forefront in championing for improvement of area’s local breeds and thus gainful livelihoods of the people.
He urged the county government to ensure the most vulnerable households were identified to benefit from the livestock programme.
By Benson Kelio/Joshua Kibet
