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Financial Losses Arising From Condemnation of Liver Meat Due To Liver Flukes in Cattle from the Western Province of Zambia

Clive Simwanzaa Chisoni Mumba Girja S. Pandey Kenny L. Samui
Vol 2(2), 189-195
DOI-

An evaluation of financial losses due to bovine fasciolosis in Senanga and Shang’ombo districts in the Western Province of Zambia was carried out retrospectively using abattoir records obtained from Senanga District Veterinary Office. The study covered a period of 10 years from January 2001 to December 2010 inclusive. Budgetary analysis was used to estimate annual financial losses arising from whole liver condemnations. Findings of the study indicate that 118,477 cattle were slaughtered and the same number of livers examined during the period 2001-2010, out of which 24,060 (20.31%) whole livers were condemned due to fasciolosis, resulting in a direct financial loss of approximately ZMK 1.2 billion which is currently equivalent to approximately US$ 245,000. This implies an annual loss of approximately US$ 24,500 for the two districts and considering that large portions of Western, Northwestern, Southern, Central and Northern Provinces are flood plains and therefore equally prone to fasciolosis, these findings indicate that this disease condition may be causing significant economic losses to the majority rural poor who depend on livestock as their main source of livelihood. Thus there may be need for more effort in order to reduce the socio-economic losses that may be accruing from fasciolosis and other parasites. The results of this study are significant in the sense that currently there is little or no information on financial losses due to fasciolosis as a result of liver condemnations and thus suggest the dire need for more studies in the rest of Western Province as well as in other flood-prone areas of Zambia.

Keywords : Partial budget analysis financial losses fasciolosis flood plains Zambia

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