. Katambo

By CHATULA KANGALI –
GOVERNMENT  has released  over K31 million for the commencement of a countrywide livestock and aquaculture census.
The ministry of finance allocated K50 million in this year’s budget to conduct the first-ever livestock and aquaculture census across the country.
Livestock and Fisheries Minister Michael Katambo said in an interview that the ministry had commenced the process of the livestock census and that K31 million had so far been released.
Mr Katambo said the ministry was working with the secretary to the cabinet and the Central Statistic Office (CSO) to conduct the census.
He said so far, materials required  for the census such as computers, tablets; stationary among others had been procured.
“We have already trained the trainers that will train people to  conduct the census, we are calling on those interested and qualified to apply from their respective  areas,” he said.
The minister said the   census would  provide a benchmark upon which future surveys in the livestock sub-sector would be based and form a basis for planning, policy formulation and implementation.
He said the census would be the first of its kind and would allow Government to know the exact population of livestock in the country.
“Currently, we do not know how much livestock we have in the country, it is also difficult to know whether we have a deficit or surplus. The census will give us a direction in the formulation of policy,” he said.
Meanwhile, the ministry has started offloading high breeds from all its animal centers countrywide for locals to improve their production through cross breeding.
Mr Katambo said cattle breeds like boran and the Brahman from Government animal centres were   now available on the market.