The Agriculture minister, Amie Fabureh, has said that the Gambia government is losing 151 million dalasi annually to animal diseases.

Mrs. Fabureh told agriculture stakeholders at the Baobab holiday resort in Bijilo that more than five per cent of Gambian animals die due to diseases and that 1, 900 metric ton of meat are thrown away due to animal diseases.

She said that the livestock subsector continues to be affected by several challenges, including increased threats of disease outbreaks, feed and water shortage, inadequate marketing opportunities and a weak state of veterinary services. She said the country has a shortage of veterinarians.

She said that despite the challenges the livestock subsector potential is yet to be fully tapped as it continues to play a significant role in the socio-economic development of the country.

“The subsector remains a unique source of income and food security enhancer for the majority of rural people and contributes at least 29 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), giving rise to the number of people venturing in livestock production, especially small ruminants and poultry.”

The director general of the Department of Livestock Services, Dr. Abdou Ceesay, said that the government has a target to modernize the veterinary legislation in order to enhance its performance for improved livestock in the country.

He said through government’s partnership with the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), the continental body has agreed to support the country in reviewing and updating her veterinary legislation.

“The process has started, which culminated in the production of the Animal Health Bill, proposed amendments to the 2000 GVC Act and proposed amendments to the obsolete 1994 Animal Disease Act regulations.”