Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has urged Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State to construct dams and solar-powered boreholes to provide sources of water for cattle and herders following growing concerns about the availability of water for cattle in the dry season.
Bauchi State chairman of MACBAN, Kabiru Yusuf said this in Itas during the launching of this year’s annual vaccination campaigns for cattle in the state.
He noted that herders struggle to get water for their cattle in Bauchi, noting that the situation gets worse immediately after rainfall ceases.
The chairman said the situation affects both the well-being of cattle, the quality of meat and the herders as well. He said dams and solar-powered boreholes should be constructed at strategic locations to ease the suffering of herders.
Yusuf commended Governor Mohammed for establishing the Ministry for Livestock Development in Bauchi, which is the first of its kind in the country.
Responding, Governor Bala Mohammed explained that the Annual Livestock Vaccination Campaign has been sustained since the inception of his administration because of its importance in preventing animal disease outbreaks and making animal production in the state disease-free and profitable.
To him, annual vaccines provide immunity against major Transboundary Animal Diseases (TADS) for a period of one year, which necessitates the need for the annual ritual of vaccinating the animals.
Governor Mohammed said the role of the livestock subsector in providing protein and economic empowerment has necessitated his administration’s need to improve and strengthen veterinary services in the state by employing 40 veterinary medical students and building befitting modern veterinary specialist clinics and abattoirs.
