Business & Strategy

Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security Issues Alert on Cattle Poisoning in Kwara State

Written by Jerry Alomatu on May 24, 2024

News Views: 64

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security raised concerns on Thursday regarding the outbreak of poisoning at the cattle market near the College of Arabic and Islamic Legal Studies in Adewole, Ilorin, Kwara State.

According to a report from the Kwara State Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, mortality among the herd occurred at the market on April 20, 2024. Investigations revealed that the animals had grazed on forage that had been fumigated with organophosphate chemicals prior to the incident.

“The report further stated that clinical signs observed were hypersalivation, weakness, and recumbency. On noticing this, the herders decided to slaughter seven of the very weakly affected animals for public consumption.

This poses public health risks, and the consequences may be very severe in the food chain,” the FMAFS said in a statement issued in Abuja.

However, the ministry highlighted the presence of Rapid Response Teams in every state, consisting of federal epidemiology officers, state directors of veterinary services, and state epidemiology officers. These teams are trained to handle emergencies such as this.

In response to the situation, the Rapid Response Team in Kwara State, in collaboration with the state government’s task force, took swift action to trace and confiscate the meat from the slaughtered animals.

The ministry reported that 40 suspected poisoned animals were treated with organophosphate antidotes, showing marked improvement in their health and leading to recovery.

Additionally, measures were taken to clean and disinfect the abattoir where the carcasses were dressed, create public awareness about the dangers of consuming meat from affected animals, and collect blood and tissue samples for laboratory testing and analysis.

To prevent future occurrences, the ministry advised the public to purchase meat from registered and approved spots, ensure that meat products are certified wholesome by a registered veterinarian, and refrain from consuming meat from dead animals.

It also emphasized the importance of proper disposal of dead animals and reporting of diseased or suspected animals to veterinary clinics or animal health service providers.

Furthermore, the ministry recommended notifying host communities before applying chemicals on open farmlands or fields to avoid grazing animals on such fields for at least one week.

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security assured the public that it would continue to collaborate with state veterinary services to uphold the best veterinary and agricultural practices for disease and hazard prevention and control.