Restocking: What's in store for the future?
Afghanistan, a country troubled with conflict and drought, looks barren
in recent news footage. But it is not just the variety of traditional crops
and fruits that are no longer present, livestock too have been severely depleted
and restocking will be required if people are to return to self-sufficiency.
Nation-wide, around 50% of the livestock has been lost to recent drought (see
News Agricultural assistance for Afghanistan),
although local losses in some areas are higher with some pastoralists (the
Kuchies), 
who
depend entirely on their livestock, having lost all of their animals. As conflict,
climate change and spread of disease continue to impact on regions worldwide,
restocking of livestock will continue to be an essential activity. But can
past and current problems that have often occurred with rehabilitating herds
and flocks in afflicted regions be overcome?
Restocking is a complex activity. Too often, the push to replace livestock has resulted in hasty decisions being taken without due consideration to the types of animals that are required and the existing resources and knowledge of the people they are to be given to. In Afghanistan, the Kuchies traditionally keep camels, sheep, goats, horses and donkeys and, until recently, their flocks accounted for one third of the sheep and goats in the country. However, in replacing lost livestock, it is important to determine which might be most suitable for initial reintroduction. Both sheep and goats are easier to replace than larger livestock, for instance, since they reproduce more quickly and can be sold if necessary in small numbers without seriously diminishing the herd. Mixed herds of sheep and goats may be preferred by locals for restocking but goats are usually more suitable than sheep due to their resilience to drought and their adaptability in terms of feed. In other regions, it may be more suitable to distribute poultry, particularly to families that are unable to manage larger animals.
Buy local
Livestock for restocking should, if possible, be bought locally or in neighbouring areas. These animals are adapted to local conditions, the risk of transmitting disease is minimized and they are usually those that farmers know best. In a recent restocking programme for Kosovo, 2,500 cattle were supplied to poor families who had lost all their livestock during the 1999 conflict; it is estimated that almost half the national herd (200,000 cattle) were lost as a result of looting and slaughter of animals. The cattle for restocking, Simmental Fleckvieh and Brown Swiss, were selected by international experts and veterinarians from Germany and Austria as breeds that would be particularly well adapted to the climate and small-scale farming in Kosovo. It is hoped that by importing cattle breeds with a greater genetic potential that the country's dwindling cattle herd will be re-invigorated.
Not just for developing countries
Restocking is not just an issue for developing countries. British farmers, affected with culling their herds during the Foot and Mouth Epidemic in 2001, have no option other than to restock if they wish to continue farming livestock. The purchase of whole herds may bring diseases that are unfamiliar or even unknown in an area. For instance, tuberculosis, which cannot be readily recognised without specific tests, is rare in most parts of the UK, but common in some. Buying livestock from several sources will inevitably mean that animals will be of a different immune status, and mixing them under stress can lead to cross infection. It is difficult to be sure that stock are disease-free but the risks and consequences of introducing disease can be minimized with careful planning. Unfortunately, although the problems of obtaining new stock are the same for farmers worldwide, the knowledge and resources to do this are often beyond the means of poor, small-scale farmers in developing countries.
In Uganda, a restocking programme, which began in the early 1990s has absorbed more than US$10 million. So far the programme has largely failed to rejuvenate Uganda's livestock sector as disease and insufficient investments in veterinary services have hindered restocking. Rebel activity and cattle rustling continue to affect the north and north east of the country and in Gulu, it is estimated that only 7,000 cattle remain of the 120,000 recorded in the 1983 animal census. Farmers in the region prefer short horned cattle varieties that can cope with the hot, dry climate but long horned, Ankole cattle have been brought up from the south, which have had problems adapting to the climate and pasture. Imported cattle from Tanzania have also succumbed to disease. However, despite these setbacks the government is committed to continuing its programme (see News Getting the goat in Uganda) and the Ministry of Agriculture plans to address constraints in veterinary health, appropriate livestock breeds, and availability of water and feed. Processing and marketing of livestock products are also to be reviewed.
Targeting, implementation and sustainability are key questions that arise again and again wherever restocking takes place. Whether this is successfully achieved in the immediate need to replace livestock in Afghanistan and in other regions in the world in the future cannot be determined. Problems of choice of breeds, and access to animal health services will continue to play a role in the success of rehabilitation of livestock. But, in the absence of restocking, other alternatives would have to be found to sustain the livelihoods of people who have to find some means of surviving in the aftermath of conflict, disease epidemics or natural disasters.
