FOOD SECURITY;INFO -GRAPHICS.

Where do you fit?

FOOD SECURITY :THE ROAD MAP.

What is food security? In lay terms,it refers to accessibility, availability ,affordability of nutritious food in quantities required ,when needed. The issue of food security is a global challenge with different countries facing different constraints.


The African countries are worst-hit "with 30% of the population severely and chronically undernourished"(Maputo declaration,July 2003).There is a need for Africa to utilize its full potential in agriculture by increasing food production through investment in livestock,aquaculture,crop farming and forestry.

   The Agricultural sector can be a major driver of economic growth,if all necessary support is provided for the growth and development.The support will include policies that are favorable,funding and education to encourage investors and urban farmers to increase and expand agricultural investments.

CAMEL AND THE FOOD CHAIN.

. Women in Kenya have taken processing of camel to a whole new level. They process,package and sell dried camel meat and also process and package the milk as yoghurt. The first camel milk cooperative society called Anolei Women Camel Milk Cooperative in Isiolo county was launched this year. It started processing and packaging camel meat, which is locally known as nyirnyir. Gerald Mureithi, the manager, says the meat goes through various processes before it is packaged.First the meat is sliced into rows, then it is sun dried and after drying, it is cut into small pieces, deep fried and eventually packaged. A 50 gramme packet of dried camel meat costs Sh100.“When stored at room temperature, the dried camel meat has a shelve life of one month and if stored in the freezer, it can stay for almost three months,” says Mureithi, adding that they also make camel yoghurt. He says camel milk is pasteurised then starch and sugar is added to it before being innoculated with bacteria culture to help in fermenting.They sell the camel products to the local market. Mureithi says they now want to venture into supermarkets and other retail markets.A 150 ml bottle goes for Sh40, the 250 ml at Sh60 while 500ml and one litre bottles will cost you Sh120 and Sh140 respectively. “We receive about 800 to 3,000 or more litres of camel milk daily from our members. Our main market for camel milk is in Eastleigh but during the rainy season when production is high, the market is low and that is why we came up with the value addition,” says Mureithi. The women cooperative has 29 active members and there are other 91 members who are passive and only supply milk to the active ones. Story source; The star.

The ‘charolais’ bull.

The bull was originally bred in France in a place called Charolais, hence its name. It is a naturally horned beef animal.In Africa, the largest population of the breed is found in South Africa followed by Kenya, mainly in Laikipia .The Bull heavier than buffalo fetches Sh600,000.Weighing in at 1,050kg, a bull heavier than a buffalo was auctioned for Sh600,000, equivalent to the price of a Probox car. However, if slaughtered in the farm, the bull could fetch Sh1 million.The ‘charolais’ bull was the main attraction during the East Africa Growers Council agribusiness expo in Kabarak University.The four-year-old bull from Kabarak Farm Ltd only feeds on grass and drinks a minimum of 60 litres of water a day, according to the farm manager Joseph Bett.Bett says there are about 107,000 of such animals in the farm and a single dose of artificial insemination costs Sh1,000. The agribusiness expo brought together more than 15,000 farmers, sponsors and exhibitors. Source;The star

The Threat of Rabies in Horses

The Threat of Rabies in Horses

Horses and the Risk of Rabies

Horses and the Risk of Rabies

RABIES IN HORSES.

Equine rabies is a feared and fatal disease, but there are ways horse owners can reduce the risk of their animals becoming infected.Rabies is fatal to all mammals. Rabies--caused by a lyssa virus that affects mammals' nervous system and salivary glands. It has six genotypes, all of which have different host ranges and pathogenicities. Rabies is everywhere,but more prevalent in underdeveloped countries than others.There are some countries reported free of the virus include Australia, Great Britain, New Zealand, Scandinavia, and Switzerland. ROUTES OF INFECTION IN HORSES. 1)Horses contract rabies from other infected animals. The horse will contract the rabies virus, when bitten by another rabid animal or have a wound contaminated with saliva or blood from an infected animal. 2) Wildlife exposure and interaction. The sylvatic cycle of the rabies virus is maintained by the wildlife community,thus when there is an interaction especially through fights,bites or consumption of infected carcass,the virus spreads. The animals that usually harbour the virus are skunks,foxes,bats,wild dogs and livestock. SIGNS OF RABIES.The signs at onset are nonspecific and include ;depression,inappetence, and Ataxia.The signs become more pronounced as the infection progresses and these are 1) hypersensitivity tu sound and touch. 2) pruritis 3) increased libido 4)twitching. Rabies is rapidly progressive and uniformly fatal with death from cardio-respiratory failure or misadventure within 10 days .People exposed to blood or saliva from a rabid horse has a risk of contracting and therefore dying of rabies,although the chances of infection from a horse to a human are small ;all prevention protocols should be observed. BIOSECURITY IN CASES OF RABIES.1) If any animal is suspected,there must be isolation of subject and restriction of handlers to the box. 2)The use of gloves,face mask and protective clothing. Vaccination is still the best means of protection.Vaccinate all horses.