Afghan cattle, sheep, donkeys decimated by warfare
Date: 08-Dec-03
Country: UN
The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization reported preliminary results of the first census of livestock, a major source of income and food, conducted in Afghanistan.
Using earlier local surveys as a comparison, the census found that the number of cattle per family, for example, had fallen from 3.7 in 1995 to 1.22 in 2003, while the number of sheep decreased from 21.9 to 2.9 over the same period, the Rome-based agency said in a statement.
To restore herds, FAO said animals were being imported and warned of the risk of spreading infectious disease without proper public veterinary services.
Data was collected in more than 36,700 villages covering some 3 million families, nearly the entire country, in a $780,000 project funded by Italy and involving 900 Afghan interviewers.
Preliminary results showed there were 3.7 million cattle, 8.8 million sheep, 7.3 million goats, 1.6 million donkeys, 180,000 camels, 140,000 horses and 12.2 million poultry. Final results are expected to be released next year.