Breeding buffaloes in the jungle requires more attention

Hama-Sana

Livestock breeders in general, and buffaloes in particular, in the Al-Ghab area in the Hama countryside suffer from the difficult climatic conditions, the lack of feed availability and the high cost of veterinary vaccines, which makes them abandon the profession of their parents and grandparents.

Dr. Mustafa Al-Alewi, Director of Animal Resources at the General Authority for the Management and Development of Al-Ghab, explained that the most important characteristic of the buffalo is its strong structure, its resistance to diseases and its food products, which made it an important livestock wealth in the region, noting that according to the latest statistics, there are 640 buffaloes, the number of which has decreased to 600 as a result of migration. Breeders and their inability to secure fodder and some cases of sale due to their poor economic situation.

He added that support is being provided to buffalo breeders by providing rationed fodder at competitive prices from the Feed Foundation, as well as launching a free campaign to immunize buffaloes from diseases that affect them, calling on breeders to give their flocks all the necessary vaccinations and to resort to the veterinarian when needed.

For his part, Dr. Hossam Asaad, head of the animal health department at the authority, indicated that the health status of buffaloes in the region is acceptable, pointing out the need to give buffaloes internal and external antiparasitic to maintain the health of the herd and increase its productivity of milk and meat.

In turn, Engineer Fadi Salloum, head of the Animal Production Department at the authority, called on the concerned authorities to provide financial and in-kind assistance and support the Syrian buffalo breeders in the region by all means in order to preserve the flocks that suffer depletion due to the increase in deaths and the spread of diseases.

A number of breeders spoke about the difficulty of continuing their work. Jamil Tobar, one of the buffalo breeders in the area of ​​Shatah, said that he moved with his family from the village of Al-Rasif to the area of ​​Shataha to maintain the continuity of their work in raising their herd of 27 heads due to the difficult climatic conditions, adding that his production of milk It decreased due to the lack of feed availability and the high cost of veterinary vaccines.

Ali Hassan, one of the buffalo breeders, said that raising buffaloes is a traditional business in the region and is of particular importance due to the excellence of the production of its milk and meat over cow products by consumers.

On the economic and nutritional importance of buffaloes, Engineer Nader Derbas, Director of Shata Research Station, said that most people want buffalo milk to make cheese, especially mozzarella cheese, because of its special flavor and thickening of milk, pointing out that buffaloes are an important and economically feasible animal wealth that must be preserved from extinction.

He added that at the station there are currently 207 heads of buffaloes with a capacity of 150, so work is being done to conduct educational coordination or educational sale to breeders, and the surplus of improved males is sold through contracts, while those that do not have good genetic specifications are coordinated on meat.

Abdullah Al Sheikh and Ivana Diop

SANA Economic Bulletin

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