Makueni County government, through the Department of Agriculture, has started a vaccination exercise against contagious diseases targeting 200,000 livestock.
Makueni County Executive Committee (CEC) member in charge of Agriculture, livestock, Fisheries, Irrigation and Cooperative development Joyce Mutua said the vaccination will be against foot-and-mouth disease and Lumpy skin disease in cattle while sheep and goats will be vaccinated for pneumonia and goat plague.
She added that the vaccination exercise aims at increasing household incomes of dairy farmers in the area through reduction of livestock diseases.
“We are implementing this programme in partnership with Dairy Farmers Cooperative Society Limited which aims at increasing household incomes of dairy farmers in the county by livestock diseases,” said Mutua while launching the exercise on Wednesday at Kathonzweni.
Mutua said the county is providing vaccines and staff while the cooperative society is providing logistical support by aggregating targeted animals for vaccination.
She added that the department is conducting farmer sensitization on livestock disease control and urged farmers to avail their animals for vaccination to prevent the diseases.
The livestock will be vaccinated at the preferred central point and also at farmers’ homes adding that the services will be accessed at a subsidized fee of Sh50 Per animal and the exercise will run up to the end of March.
By Ronald Rono
