Page 50 - MANDERA-COUNTY- THE 2019 MAGAZINE

50
Welcome relief for livestock

CUSHIONED FROM DROUGHT

A livestock breeder herds his indigenous goats. Great potential exists for organic meat products for the local and export market.
ver 80% of the Mandera ernment. • Construction of 16 cattle crushes
County population derive To cushion the pastoralists against with loading ramps for promotion
Otheir livelihood from live- the adverse effects of drought of livestock marketing, vaccination
stock, despite the ravaging drought which often plunges most families and treatment. In the past, hundreds of
which poses a serious challenge to into abject poverty following death • Renovation of veterinary pastoralists were forced
the pastoralist community. of livestock, the county government diagnostic laboratory. This has to quit pastoral life during
has devised ways to alleviate the improved disease diagnosis and
The county boasts of 863,625 cattle, locals suffering through: timely response in disease treat- the extremely dry season
1,016,790 camels, 3,415,484 goats, • Provision of 6981kg of assorted ment and control. following deaths of their
1,164,238 sheep, 208,126 donkeys, grass seeds for promotion of pas- • Construction of four slaughter livestock resulting from
56,874 chicken and 23,388 bee- ture and fodder production and slabs and completion of ESP lack of pasture, nutritional
hives. establishment of strategic livestock slaughterhouse which has im-
In the past, hundreds of breeders feed reserves. proved meat hygiene and trade. deficiencies and oppor-
were forced to quit pastoral life dur- • The intervention had led to the tunistic livestock diseas-
ing the extremely dry season fol- production of about 100,000 bales Beekeeping es. However, this trend
lowing the deaths of their livestock of hay by the end of 2018. The county government has also has been reversed since
resulting from lack of pasture, nu- • Training of 200 riverine farmers sensitized the locals on the impor-
tritional deficiencies and opportu- on pasture and fodder production. tance of beekeeping which has seen the establishment of the
nistic livestock diseases. However, • Construction of 4 hay stores at the pastoralist community embrace county government.
this trend has been reversed since Elwak, Takaba, Rhamu and Ban- the novel idea in Banisa and Rhamu.
the establishment of the county gov- issa sub-county headquarters.

A herd of camels at a water point. Mandera has a population of the hardy A fleet of lorries deliver hay at a store in Koromey, in efforts
animals with high cultural, nutritional and economic values. to cushion livestock keepers from the effects of drought.