| dc.description.abstract | There was a surge in the number of foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks in western Kenya between the years 2014 and 2016. Cattle markets are believed to play a major role in the maintenance and spread of FMD virus within the region. A qualitative risk assessment was done to investigate the role played by cattle markets in maintenance of these outbreaks. The specific objectives of the study were to describe cattle marketing activities and practices that posed a risk for spread of FMD, conducting risk assessment for the spread of FMD through cattle marketing activities and analysis of structure and performance of selected cattle markets within the region. The risk assessment was done based on the framework adapted by World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) which entails hazard identification, release assessment, exposure assessment and risk estimation. A cross-sectional study was conducted in selected livestock markets in western Kenya to collect both qualitative and quantitative data using a semi-structured questionnaire. Additional data collection was done through focus group discussions with livestock traders in the markets while secondary data were also obtained through review of published and grey sources of literature.
The quantitative data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistical measures including frequency distributions and measures of central tendency: arithmetic mean and median. Gini coefficient were also calculated to estimate the cattle market concentration indices, while Lorenz curve were drawn to estimate the cattle traders market share in the selected livestock markets. Additionally, gross marketing margins were calculated to evaluate marketing performance in the region. For the case of risk assessment, the risk for release of FMD virus was determined by assessment of risk of FMD infected cattle moving through the livestock markets, ability of the virus to survive in environment, volume of cattle traded in the selected livestock markets and
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cattle marketing practices which would increase exposure to infections. The risk of exposure to FMD infections was determined through assessment of the possibility of; infected cattle making susceptible contacts, marketed animals making infectious contacts, cattle from markets not being quarantined and FMD transmissions within and between the connected farms.
The Lorenz curves showed that about 80% of cattle traders in Kamukuywa market controlled only 58% of the market shares, with the remainder of 42% market share being controlled by only 20% of the livestock traders. These livestock markets had an estimated Gini coefficient of 0.65 indicating a higher degree of concentration. Bumala livestock market had fair distribution equality with a Gini coefficient of only 0.32, while Kimilili livestock market had the least distribution equality with an estimated Gini coefficient of 0.71.Therefore these cattle markets had an oligopolistic market structure characterized by only a few livestock traders controlling trading business in cattle.
The study shows that the risk of spreading FMD virus during an outbreak through cattle marketing practices was high. Inadequate facilitation of veterinary department, trade on non-vaccinated cattle, cattle evaluation practices, cattle movement without permits, trekking cattle for long distances, lack of isolation of traded cattle at farms and visiting of many livestock markets within short period, were some of the identified practices which could increase the risk of FMD spread through markets during outbreaks. There was free entry into this trade but challenges of obtaining the required operating capital and lack of adequate advance market information were the main restricting factors for traders.
This study recommends that some risk management measures‟ needs to be put in place to manage the high risk of FMD spread from markets. These may include adequate resource
Allocation to the veterinary department for disease surveillance activities, subsidizing cost of the strategic vaccinations and creation of awareness amongst traders on the roles they should play in cattle disease control and management. The government and other relevant institutions should also assist cattle traders to access affordable loans, ensure that there is adequate dissemination of market information and to develop standards for determining animal value. | en_US |
