How can livestock disease outbreak be tackled? It is by a national data on animal movement, a livestock expert, Dr Aderemi Adeyemo has said.

Adeyemo, Head of General Management Department, Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), Ilorin, said the farm animal movement data is essential in the event of an outbreak such as foot-and-mouth disease.

He said there was a need for programmes to train animal health officials. He also said the livestock industry should ensure foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) never occurs again.

Adeyemo stressed the need for a communication system that will provide Despatch Alerts, Warning, and Notifications (DAWN) via email, voice messages, or text messages to assist farmers and veterinarians to monitor disease outbreaks.

He said by not investing in animal monitoring the authorities are not only jeopardising the agriculture economy, but also putting the health and welfare of livestock at risk.

Adeyemo said the Federal Government should make it mandatory for local health authorities to record animal health information. In the face of an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), he said such information would be vital in helping to control the effects of the disease on the industry and the economy.