3^rd International Veterinary Congress

Biography

Biography: Christie Peacock

Abstract

Livestock farmers in Africa struggle to access good quality inputs, effective knowledge and fair markets. In most countries the government veterinary service is under-resourced and unable to provide a full range of services to livestock keepers. Regulation of the emerging private sector is very weak allowing unqualified people to sell livestock products, including Prescription Only Medicines (POMs) directly to farmers. Many of these products are of sub-manufacturing standard, or are counterfeits. This leads to extensive misuse of drugs through poor diagnosis, incorrect product use and under-dosing. Drug resistance is rising in anthelmintics, antibiotics, acaricides and trypanocides. Sidai Africa Ltd is a pioneering company that aims to open access to good quality livestock services to farmers and pastoralists in Kenya. It is setting up a national network of professionally-managed branded Livestock Service Centres across Kenya which only stock quality products and offer a full range of livestock services. Sidai places emphasis on herd health, preventing disease and improving management wherever possible. Sidai’s buying power is already improving the profitability of Sidai centres enabling them to offer professional services including clinical services, AI, vaccination, simple diagnostics and farmer training. In 3 years Sidai has opened 120 centres serving 100,000 farmers in Kenya. Sidai centres are run by technically-qualified professionals who may be Sidai staff or business partners operating as franchisees using the Sidai brand.