Proper hygiene and effective management of livestock as a panacea for agricultural development and increase in Nigeria's gross domestic product (GDP): a review.
2016
Kwaghe, A. V. | Vakuru, C. T. | Ndahi, M. D. | Abubakar, A. | Iwar, V. N. | Eze, E.
Increased livestock production and better food security will naturally follow from proper livestock management practices. Such management practices include the application of appropriate vaccination schedule, biosecurity, feeding regimen, and implementation and sustenance of improved and feasible livestock policies. In meat production, the abattoir needs to be well equipped for antemortem and postmortem procedures, hygienic processing of carcasses, and packaging, to improve the quality and quantity of meat and meat products. In Nigeria, about 90% of the livestock industry (cattle, sheep and goats) is managed extensively (nomadic management system) or semi-intensively (animals are taken out to graze and are brought home with little or no provision at home). These systems are greatly affected by insufficient grazing reserves, lack of cattle routes, and consequently, by conflicts between the livestock farmers and crop farmers due to invasion of livestock into farms during grazing. During the dry season, livestock animals tend to become emaciated due to insufficient food, which leads to health depreciation due to declined immune status, and decline in meat production and reproduction rate. Diseases possess a great challenge to meat and egg production due to illiteracy and lack of resources for proper management of livestock. In the poultry industry, where most of the meat is produced, typically no or only some biosecurity procedures are in place at the commercial farms. The backyard local poultry are kept without any form of care; they tend to scavenge for their food and are prone to all forms of diseases, parasites and predators. The hygienic status and carcass preparation at Nigeria's abattoirs is very poor, which affects the meat industry. In general, livestock production in the country is greatly affected by poor management practices, diseases and poor meat processing strategies, which leads to the production of low-quality meat that can easily decompose, and the spread of food-borne and zoonotic diseases. Livestock policies in the country have not produced the desired economic growth due to their inadequate implementation. Also, the oil boom era relegated agriculture to the background from being the major part of the nation's gross domestic product (GDP). There is need for new strategies and proper implementation of livestock policies - it is recommended to encourage stakeholders to participate and to diversify the industry into manufacturing and not just production. This study was carried out in order to assess state of livestock production, management systems including assessment of livestock policies, and challenges faced by this industry in Nigeria, and to identify the way forward for better livestock production and subsequent increase in the nation's GDP.
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