Cattle

The pilot will serve as a review of the BCG vaccine.

The Ministry of Agriculture in Tunisia has announced a pilot vaccination initiative against bovine tuberculosis to advance animal health and livestock sector

The pilot will serve as a review of the Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine’s performance under Tunisian farming conditions before it can be rolled out nationally on a wider basis.

Expressing big anticipations from the pilot project, the Ministry believes that the BCG vaccine can effectively reduce the spread of bovine tuberculosis. Officials stressed that vaccination would complement rather than replace existing disease control measures. 

The campaign will focus on epidemiological surveillance, biosecurity, animal movement controls and routine herd testing.

Caused by Mycobacterium, bovine tuberculosis largely impacts cattle, but can also infect people if they came into direct contact with infected animals or consumed contaminated meat or unpasteurised milk.

This vaccination drive will address rising human tuberculosis cases, which are reported to be 1500 annually, with almost 80% responsible for animal transmission, found Tunisia’s Order of Veterinary Surgeons. It is capable of spreading chronic illness, pneumonia, weight loss and death in infected cattle, limiting livestock productivity and affecting the supply of animal products.

In April 2026, veterinary authorities detected six cases of bovine tuberculosis in calves at a municipal slaughterhouse in Sousse, which pointed at the seriousness of the issue in adversely affecting the national cattle population.

The vaccination initiative is part of the government’s wider 2026-2030 livestock recovery strategy to restore cattle and small ruminant herds by improving forage production, digitising livestock monitoring systems and strengthening veterinary services.

The recovery programme will support Tunisia’s cattle, sheep and goat population, which has been seeing sharp decline since 2016 at 30%, going down to approximately 5.94 million head in 2022.

Officials believe that improving disease control will be essential to rebuilding livestock numbers, with successful vaccination potentially reducing losses associated with bovine tuberculosis by limiting the need for widespread culling of infected animals.

Tsetse eradication restores Senegal's livestock quality.

Livestock production has remained a challenge for decades in Senegal’s Niayes region owing to the trypanosomosis-carrying tsetse flies, with infection rates at 28% affecting both income and food generation 

These pests severely harm cattle productivity, leaving farmers with no choice but to go with low-yield, disease-tolerant breeds. To get rid of the deadly swarm of tsetses, the Government of Senegal launched a long-term campaign with support from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), through the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture.

Ongoing for over a decade now, the programme has started showing positive changes with a 99% reduction in tsetse populations in the Niayes. The initiative was carried out in partnership with Senegalese institutions, namely the Institut Sénégalais de Recherches Agricoles (ISRA), and national veterinary services, as well as the Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement (CIRAD), France. Additional financial support was provided to the United States of America and France through IAEA Peaceful Uses Initiative.

Following more than ten years of sustained field activities, two socio-economic impact assessments were conducted, one with the support from FAO and the other from CIRAD, to evaluate how livestock systems and rural livelihoods had changed in the absence of the tsetse fly. The studies were carried out by agro-economists from the Bureau d’Analyses Macro-Économiques (BAME) at ISRA, alongside social scientists and entomologists from CIRAD.

“The assessments provide clear evidence that vector suppression has transformed livestock production systems in the Niayes region, with significant improvements in productivity, income and animal health. Sustaining these achievements will be critical, but the results already show how strategic investments and partnerships can drive long-term change in Senegal’s livestock sector,” said Adji Maréme Gaye, Epidemiologist at the FAO office in Senegal.

With trypanosomosis under control, farmers rapidly adapted their practices. Whereas previously only trypanotolerant local breeds could survive, the absence of the disease enabled the introduction of higher-yield dairy and meat cattle.

Before the intervention, exotic breeds accounted for just 1.5% of herds. Today, they represent more than 27% in some farming systems. At the same time, herd sizes have decreased by up to 49%, reflecting a shift towards more efficient and market-oriented production systems that place less pressure on land and natural resources.

Modern dairy farming has expanded rapidly in parallel. Since 2017, 904 modern dairy farms have been established in the Niayes region, representing nearly three-quarters of such operations nationwide.

This transformation has been accompanied by dramatic gains in productivity, with milk sales in some systems increasing from just 157 litres to over 2,100 litres per cow annually, driven by the growing presence of higher-yield exotic breeds.

“Conventional vector control could suppress tsetse populations, but it was the sterile insect technique that allowed Senegal to push past suppression toward eradication, breaking the cycle of reinfestation for good,” said Chantel De Beer, Technical Officer at the Insect Pest Control Laboratory of the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre. “The Niayes campaign shows that with sustained investment and partnership, eradication isn't just a technical possibility, but it is an achievable outcome that transforms entire livestock economies, from household income to herd health to the dairy sector itself.”

EuroTier 2026 is set to take place from 10 to 13 November in Hanover. (Image source: DLG)

The German Agricultural Society, DLG-organised trade fair for livestock professionals, EuroTier, has issued call for the Innovation Award EuroTier seeking technological innovations to address on-ground problems in modern livestock farming

The Innovation Award EuroTier in gold or silver goes to the winner who gets chosen following an in-depth technical evaluation by an independent panel of international experts appointed by the DLG. 

Alongside, the Animal Welfare Award is also seeking submissions for trendsetting offerings for the industry. This recognises products that promote species-appropriate behaviour and squarely supports animal health. Also presented by the DLG in cooperation with the bpt (German Veterinary Practitioners Association), this particular award is build on the gold or silver earned as part of the EuroTier Innovation Award. While animal welfare is only one of several criteria for the Innovation Award, the Animal Welfare Award specifically recognizes a product that meets the requirements for a higher animal welfare standard to an exceptional degree.

Decisive factors include innovations in animal welfare and animal health. Products that promote species-appropriate behavior and actively support animal health are particularly highlighted.

EuroTier 2026 that is set to take place from 10 to 13 November in Hanover, Germany, will be driven by the theme 'Intelligence in animal farming', promoting technologies that improve efficiency, animal welfare, and farm management, while also delivering benefits in terms of environmental and energy performance.

Registration for the EuroTier Innovation Awards 2026 automatically includes entry for the Animal Welfare Award 2026.

Award-winning products must be fully functional at the time of the exhibition and must be available on the market by EuroTier 2028 at the latest. The last edition of EuroTier included more than 210 world premieres entered into the innovation award scheme.

The application deadline for the EuroTier 2026 awards is July 31, 2026.

Tanzania’s Kagera region is stepping up efforts to attract investment into dairy and beef production as part of a wider strategy to unlock its vast livestock potential and respond to rapidly growing demand for animal protein at both national and regional levels.

The renewed push was articulated by the Minister for Livestock and Fisheries, Bashiru Ally, during a working visit to a Farmers’ Field School in Muleba district.

Dr Ally underscored the importance of scaling up the production of high-quality animal feed, describing it as a critical driver for increasing milk and meat output. He pointed to Kagera’s strong natural advantages, including abundant pasture, reliable water resources and a strategic location within the Great Lakes region, positioning the area as a prime destination for commercial livestock investment.

Highlighting opportunities beyond traditional smallholder systems, the minister said targeted investments in productivity, modern technology and supporting infrastructure could significantly boost returns across the dairy and beef value chains. “Kagera region has a good climate that can be a source of quality beef and ranching,” he stated, noting that the presence of existing commercial ranches offers a solid foundation for public–private partnerships to enhance efficiency and scale.

The minister also encouraged farmers to embrace modern dairy production models, cautioning against maintaining large herds of low-yield cattle. Instead, he advocated for productivity-focused systems that improve profitability, food security and household incomes. The dairy sector, he noted, is central to Tanzania’s broader goals of industrialisation, nutrition improvement and inclusive economic growth.

Official projections indicate that Tanzania’s demand for meat could triple by 2030, driven by population growth, urbanisation and rising incomes across Africa. Current livestock supply, however, remains inadequate, underscoring the need for significant investment in ranches, feedlots, abattoirs, meat processing facilities and tanneries. Despite recent export gains, Tanzania recorded meat exports of just 14,000 metric tonnes in 2024, far below the national target of 50,000 metric tonnes.

To address these gaps, Kagera authorities have earmarked about 66,215 hectares under the Mwisa II Project for dairy industry development. Investors are being encouraged to establish milk, beef and hides processing plants, leveraging the region’s extensive pastureland and infrastructure, including five National Ranching Company (NARCO) ranches. Despite its livestock resources, Kagera currently contributes only 7.6 per cent to Tanzania’s GDP, highlighting significant untapped potential for agribusiness-led growth.