The Gambia: Over 300, 000 Cattle at Imminent Risk of Death

The N’Dama cattle, typical breed found in The Gambia (Photo credit: ITC)

After a severe food crisis in The Gambia in 2011, generally-poor farmers are still not out of the woods yet as an estimated 398, 472 heads of cattle in the tiny West African country are at imminent risk of death. 

Gambian farmers are faced with another problem: the outbreak of the Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP).

The CBPP disease is considered the biggest threat to cattle production in Sub-Saharan Africa, animal health experts have said.

It has already killed over 4000 cattle in The Gambia since late last year when it was first discovered.
The Animal Health-Crises Management Centre of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said the disease has the potential to cause the death of 200, 000 cattle in The Gambia.

It said the monetary value of such loss is estimated at two billion Gambian Dalasis (approximately US$60 millions).

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