Iraq (08): (Nineveh) livestock

Date: Sat 15 Mar 2025
Source: Shafaq News [in Arabic, machine trans., edited]
https://tinyurl.com/5djfcah5


Despite assurances, foot-and-mouth disease threatens a "disaster" in an Iraqi region
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In the heart of Kokjali, east of Mosul -- a region known as Iraq's most important hub for calf and livestock farming -- [MK] stands in the middle of his 4 fields, which once housed more than 2000 calves. Today, however, he describes what has happened as a "disaster" after all his animals were infected with foot-and-mouth disease.

[MK] told Shafaq News Agency: "The disease has swept through all my barns. I have 2000 calves, most of which have been infected. So far, I have lost 250 animals: 60 of them died, and we left them out in the open, while we had to slaughter the others before they perished completely."

Not far away, [AZ] is facing a similar situation. Watching what remains of his herd, he says: "At first, one calf got sick, so I isolated it. Then another showed symptoms, then 4, and now I have 42 calves -- 35 of them are infected. Who will compensate us for these losses?"

Kokjali, the eastern gateway to Mosul, is one of Iraq's main centers for calf and sheep farming, with dozens of fields and farms that provide meat for local markets and slaughterhouses.

The region is known for its favorable environment for livestock farming, offering vast grazing and fattening areas, making it a key destination for traders and investors in the livestock sector.

As a vital supplier of meat to Iraqi markets, Kokjali supports many neighboring provinces. Its proximity to Mosul further enhances its economic activity. However, despite its importance, the region now faces serious challenges, the most pressing of which is the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. This threatens livestock production and has severe economic repercussions for the local community.

Government action to address the crisis
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Amid the worsening situation, the governor of Nineveh, Abdul Qader Al-Dakhil, held an emergency meeting on the evening of the previous day. The meeting was attended by the leadership of Nineveh Operations, the Popular Mobilization Forces Operations, and the directors of security agencies, veterinary services, agriculture, and municipal departments, to discuss measures to contain the spread of the disease.

During the meeting -- attended by Shafaq News Agency -- Al-Dakhil emphasized that livestock accounts for 43% of Iraq's total livestock resources. He confirmed that authorities have imposed a one-week quarantine on 22 farms in Kokjali to ensure the execution of disinfection, spraying, and veterinary treatment, under the supervision of the veterinary department and health authorities.

He added that security forces will enforce preventive measures to curb further spread of the disease. He reassured that foot-and-mouth disease does not affect humans, but it poses a major threat to the livestock sector in the province.

Additionally, Iraqi MP Mansour Al-Muraid visited Kokjali yesterday and met with several livestock farmers who suffered significant losses due to the outbreak. During his visit, Al-Muraid called the Minister of Agriculture, informing him that Kokjali is experiencing a "tragic disaster" threatening livestock resources. He stressed the urgent need for government intervention to support farmers and contain the outbreak.

Al-Muraid also called for the provision of vaccines and veterinary treatments, warning that a lack of support could lead to even greater losses, negatively impacting the local economy -- especially since Kokjali is one of Iraq's largest livestock and calf farming centers.

Veterinary authorities downplay the scale of the disaster
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For his part, Omar Al-Hayali, director of veterinary medicine in Nineveh, downplayed the severity of the situation, stating that "the infections are confined to Kokjali only and do not exceed the scale being promoted in the media." He emphasized that the veterinary hospital has taken all necessary measures and has formed a joint operations room to monitor the outbreak.

However, he did not entirely dismiss the seriousness of the crisis, telling Shafaq News Agency that veterinary teams are continuing their work despite limited resources. He called for a responsible approach to the issue without media exaggeration.

Nineveh now faces a major challenge in protecting its livestock sector, which is a cornerstone of the province's economy. Amid complaints from farmers about the lack of government support and the shortage of veterinary treatments, concerns are growing over whether the outbreak can be controlled before it escalates into a full-scale economic disaster that devastates the livestock industry.

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Communicated by:
ProMED
via
ProMED-MENA