Joint OAU-IBAR-IAEA Workshop on The Establishment of Area Wide and SIT Forum for the ControlEradication of Tsetse Flies..PDF

Livestock make a significant contribution to the economic development process in Westand Central Africa. The livestock sub-sector contributes 30-50% to the agriculturalGross Domestic Products (GDP) and about 15-20% of the national GDPs. It is estimatedthat until the year 2025 the demand for animal products will annually increase by 4% insub-Saharan Africa. Much of that projected demand could be met by the subhumid andhumid zones of West Africa which offer a significant potential for an increase in animalproduction. However, diseases, notably tsetse-transmitted Trypanosomiasis, are seriouslyImpairing a profitable livestock production in these zones. Tsetse-transmitted HumanAfrican Trypanosomiasis adds to the constraints. Estimates of the annual losses due toanimal Trypanosomiasis amount to about US$ 4 billion, whereas annual control costsrange from US$ 0.6 to 1.2 billion (FAO, 1994).Livestock development encompasses an entire range of aspects, from the rural poor toaccelerated economic use of animals by intensified production. Livestock are central tothe livelihood of the rural poor in developing countries in multiple ways (Delgado et al.,1999 Livestock to 2020, The next food revolution). First, they are an important source ofcash income. Second, they are one of the assets available to the poor, especially poorwomen. Third, livestock manure and draft power are vital to the preservation of soilfertility and the sustainable intensification of farming systems in many developing areasfacing increasing population density. Fourth, livestock allow the poor to exploit commonproperty resources, such as open grazing areas, in order to earn income. Fifth, livestockproducts enable farmers to diversify incomes, helping to reduce income variability.Sixth, livestock provide a vital and often the only source of income for the poorest andmost marginal of the rural poor, such as pastoralists, sharecroppers and widows. Thespecialisation of production lads to more diversified production systems, directlyresponding to demand. These new systems are emerging in increasing numbers as aresult of market forces.