Côte d'Ivoire/ Pork industry: FIRCA revitalizes health protection groups

A capacity-building workshop for Groupement de Défense Sanitaire (GDS) coordinators and their veterinary advisors opened on Tuesday September 17, 2024 in Yamoussoukro, at the initiative of the Fonds Interprofessionnel pour la Recherche et le Conseil Agricole (FIRCA).

Noting numerous weaknesses within the GDSs since the appearance and spread of African swine fever in Côte d'Ivoire, FIRCA has deemed it necessary to intervene to improve the health status of pig farms.

"GDSs are sentinels who can rapidly detect an infectious outbreak and limit the spread of the disease in the area", emphasized Yéo Pévanné Soumaïla, FIRCA's Livestock and Fisheries Program Manager.

The aim of the Yamoussoukro meeting is to provide GDS coordinators with the tools they need to meet the challenges they face and correct the various weaknesses in their operations.

Groupements de défense sanitaire de la filière porcine were created between 2013 and 2014, but several dysfunctions have been reported in their activities. "We found that some farmers lacked knowledge of the disease and good biosecurity practices, and that some GDSs did not play their role of alert and sentinel. their alert and sentinel role", explained Dr Kallo Vessaly, Director of Veterinary Services at the Ministry of Animal Resources and Fisheries.

For Germain Nawoya, President of the Côte d'Ivoire Pig Producers, GDS training is crucial, as the threat is real. Swine fever can wipe out the entire national herd in just six months. In Côte d'Ivoire, this herd is estimated at 600,000 head, and some 85,000 pigs have been slaughtered since the start of the epidemic.

Source: www.aip.ci/105777/