An Economic Analysis of Damages and other Losses by Ticks and Tick Borne disease Particulary in Relation to East Coast Fever (ECF)

Abstract

Ticks and Tick-borne diseases are a major impediment to the developrrent of the livestock sector in Kenya. They cause significant production losses through mortality, impair productivity of surviving anirrals, and discourage the genetic improvement of cattle in the high potential areas. Of the tick-borne diseases, ECF is the most important. No vaccine or drug has been adopted for widespread field use against the disease, and its control relies on the application of acaricides on animals to control the tick population.Indigenous cattle in endemic areas have developed partial .immunity to the main tick-borne diseases. It is the genetically improved cattle that are most susceptible to the diseases .Despite a long period of tick-control (starting in the early 1900s) , losses from tick-borne diseases, particularly ECF, are still high. This preliminary study attempts to analyse the economic factors that influence farmers decisions to undertake tick-control and abate damages and losses from tickborne diseases, particularly ECF.In Chapter Three, we note that an econanic problem exists in the fanner allocation of resources to tick control.Various factors cause a divergence between the social and private benefits from control. They include significant externalities, risk, economies of scale and indivisibilities of ticik control facilities, and farmer ignorance. overrnnent involvement was found essential to induce a more optimal allocation of resources to tick control. The implications for the financing of the government involvement are also discussed.In Chapter Four, econometric analysis is undertaken to gauge the impact tick parameters have on cattle breed portfolio and farmers tick control folio and farmer participatior in various regions of the country. This is analysed in a wider context, incorporating such factors as the land potential and adjudication. The parameters, particularly the distribution of cattle dips and spray races, are found to have a high 'explanatory' power.Policy implications are then discussed.In Chapter Five, we find that in a cost-benefit framework,tick control is to a large extent a viable invesbrent to farmers and to society. The magnitude of benefits, however,was found to depend significantly on the assuniption made on the level of cattle improvern:mt adopted. The net benefits are only marginal when no genetic improvement is postulated, and are even negative when farmers apply individual spraying - the more expensive method of control.