Angola’s Benga Province launches vaccination campaign to protect cattle herds

ANGOLA –  The Provincial Government of Benga, Angola, through its agricultural office, has launched a 16-day vaccination campaign targeting eight thousand cattle.

The initiative aims to shield animals from contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, hematic anthrax, and asymptomatic anthrax.

This is a part of the Angolan government’s initiative, which is taking steps to safeguard livestock health in Bengo province.

The newly launched campaign is being poised to primarily focus on the Dande municipality, with a dedicated day for Ambriz and Bula Atumba municipalities.

This campaign comes after Angola offered a helping hand to Namibia by allowing their struggling farmers to graze cattle on Angolan land. 

The Namibian government had previously requested Angolan authorities to crack down on illegal herding due to the severe drought impacting their country.

The drought has been caused by El Niño, which has been wreaking havoc across Southern Africa, causing a humanitarian crisis.

This year’s El Niño is particularly harsh, bringing one of the driest Februarys in over four decades.

The lack of rain and depleted vegetation forced some Namibian farmers to make tough choices -according to reports,  some were forced to sell livestock, resort to grazing cattle in dumpsites, and even feed them cardboard to prevent starvation.

Ohangwena governor, Sebastian Ndeitunga, expressed his gratitude to the Angolan government for their support during the Omauludi Agricultural Festival.

Angola’s cattle population has been steadily growing since 2010, reaching over 5.12 million in 2020.

This vaccination campaign highlights their commitment to protecting this vital resource and ensuring the health of their livestock industry.

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