Impact of COVID-19 on Livestock Production and Best Practices to Devastate

Abstract

Livestock farming plays a vital contribution in food supply of rural and urban areas; gives off a wide diversity of products; creates employment, stimulates demand for goods and services; and promoting economic transformation by contributing to human and financial capital. COVID-19 has had a substantial impact on many sectors at global, regional and national levels; including the livestock sector. It negatively influences animal production through reducing access to animal feeds, inputs and services, markets and consumers; processing via reducing processing capacity, compromised storage and conservation and constrained informal businesses; and animal health by reducing testing and diagnostic capacity; disrupting animal diseases surveillance and reporting; reducing or even suspending national animal disease control programmes. With rigorous action, we can not only avoid some of the worst impacts but do so in a way that supports a transition to more sustainable livestock production systems that are in better balance with nature and that support healthy diets- and thus better health predictions - for all. Hence, since there were no cases reported for the transmission of COVID-19 from livestock animals to humans, it is highly recommended that farmers continue to rear, keep, care and maintain their livestock by taking measures into practices.