Last March, the National Center for Animal Health monitored about 47 outbreaks and the death of hundreds of livestock, indicating that foot-and-mouth disease is one of the endemic diseases in the country. Libya It appears in epidemic outbreaks from time to time.
On Najm al-Din Tenton’s farm in the suburbs MisrataIn the main commercial city in western Libya, there is an eerie silence in the stables that used to house cows, and they are now deserted, after foot-and-mouth disease caused the death of a large part of the livestock.
The livestock breeder told AFP that he lost a large portion of his herd due to the epidemic in Misrata, located 200 kilometers west. Tripoli “Out of 742 cows, we lost 300 cows. This disease has destroyed our livelihoods.”
For the 27-year-old young educator who started the business just three years ago, “the future looks bleak.” He added, “Every day we find a cow lying down. It will not be long before it dies of fever.”
Foot-and-mouth disease is a highly contagious virus that infects ruminants, especially cattle, sheep and goats. It is often benign in adult animals, and can be fatal in younger animals.
To stop its spread, execution is often the only solution.
The outbreak was reported for the first time in Sharq Libya Livestock breeding is widespread in March, before gradually moving to the west.
In Misrata, Libya’s third largest city, small farms were the most affected, with some herders reporting the loss of about 70 percent of their herds.
The director of the Animal Health Office in Misrata, Salem Al-Badri (45 years old), who came to assess the situation at the Tinton farm, told AFP, “We are heading towards a disaster.”
The veterinarian adds, “Most of the cows in Misrata are now infected, and we have no choice but to slaughter them to eliminate the epidemic.”
On the consumer side, the impact is felt locally through increased prices of meat and dairy products and decreased supply.
According to Al-Badri, before the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, the Misrata region was producing about 70,000 liters of milk per day, but production decreased to 20,000 liters per day. This reveals the disaster caused by the rapid death of livestock.
Al-Badri also points out the spread of lumpy skin disease, which is another viral disease that sometimes leads to death.
He says, “Because of this disease, countries that import hides from Libya are afraid to buy them.”
The spread of these diseases, according to the World Food and Agriculture Organization, began in Libya last year, through the illegal import of animals that are not subject to veterinary control, and their transfer from one region to another, in addition to the lack of knowledge about these infectious diseases among some breeders.
Lack of response
Breeders criticize the authorities for their failure to respond to the crisis, especially in the prevention phase, with the delay in disbursing government funds, which led to a slowdown in the process of delivering vaccines and serums to the regions and veterinary departments.
Salem Al-Badri says with regret, “If the vaccines had been delivered last November, we would not be here. I asked the authorities on several occasions to hand them over to us in order to save the farms.”
He calls on the state to provide vaccines to breeders on an annual basis.
With support from the Food and Agriculture Organization, authorities in eastern and western Libya published vaccination plans and took preventive measures after the first outbreaks appeared in the east.
But Libya, which has been undermined by chaos and divisions since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in 2011, faces chronic organizational difficulties, with two competing and parallel executives, one in the east and the other in the west.
Recently, the activity of the Central Bank of Libya, which manages the state budget and its distribution to the regions, has slowed due to a serious governance crisis and the cessation of oil exports, the country’s main resource.
“We completely depend on these animals for our livelihood,” says Tenton, who considers the loss of his herd an “economic disaster.”
The young breeder, whose milk production dropped from 15,000 liters to 3,500 liters per day “at best,” demands that the government “should not only provide vaccines, but also compensate us.”
He added, “The project has become in debt, and everything is heading toward a loss.”
40-year-old educator Ali Ghabak says, “No one wants to continue in this sector anymore. The risks have become too great, and we do not know if we will overcome this crisis.”