The edit can be undone. Please check the comparison below to verify that this is what you want to do, and then publish the changes below to finish undoing the edit.
| Latest revision | Your text | ||
| Line 9: | Line 9: | ||
The veterinary department was established in Kenya in 1903 by the British government, which was more concerned with disease control and research, while European farmers in collaboration with private practitioners, took care of clinical services and breeding programs. This was the norm in the high potential areas where European farmers were located. The indigenous farmers were offered free disease control by the government so that their animals would remain free of disease to reduce the risk of infection to the European highgrade cattle. | The veterinary department was established in Kenya in 1903 by the British government, which was more concerned with disease control and research, while European farmers in collaboration with private practitioners, took care of clinical services and breeding programs. This was the norm in the high potential areas where European farmers were located. The indigenous farmers were offered free disease control by the government so that their animals would remain free of disease to reduce the risk of infection to the European highgrade cattle. | ||
Just before independence, the African farmers were allowed to keep grade cattle. Soon after independence in 1963, the European farms were sub divided into smaller units for allocation to small-scale African farmers along with the high-grade cattle in those farms. The small-scale farmers had no experience in managing high-grade cattle that were less resistant to diseases, particularly tick borne diseases. The animals thus started dying in large numbers. The African farmers were also | Just before independence, the African farmers were allowed to keep grade cattle. Soon after independence in 1963, the European farms were sub divided into smaller units for allocation to small-scale African farmers along with the high-grade cattle in those farms. The small-scale farmers had no experience in managing high-grade cattle that were less resistant to diseases, particularly tick borne diseases. The animals thus started dying in large numbers. The African farmers were also poor, with limited resources to invest in highgrade cattle. They therefore could not afford fees charged by the private veterinary practitioners. Consequently, the practitioners could not make a living and thus left the country. A vacuum in the provision of services was created and the government had to intervene to protect the high-grade national herd from risks of diseases. Clinical centres were built, artificial insemination services and bull schemes were opened, dipping programmes organized and where veterinary staff was inadequate expatriates were hired, and while manpower training was increased. | ||
These types of services that were subsidized became a heavy budgetary burden and could not be sustained for long. | These types of services that were subsidized became a heavy budgetary burden and could not be sustained for long. | ||