Assessment of Socio-economic Importance and Major Constraints of Working Equines in and around Debre Berhan Town, Central Ethiopia.
Ethiopia is believed to have the largest livestock population in Africa, which accounts for about 56.7 million cattle, 29.3 million sheep, 29.1 million goats, 2.03 million horses, 0.4 million mules, 7.4 million donkeys, 1.1 million camels, 56.8 million poultry and 5.8 million beehives. The country ranks 8th in the world and is the second-largest donkey population in the world next to China,
specifically kept for work. Ethiopia possesses approximately half of Africa′s equine population with 37%, 58%, and 46% of all African donkeys, horses, and mules, respectively.
Working animals provide more than 50% of the world′s agricultural energy for traction, while the internal combustion engines provide less than 30%, with the remaining percentage provided by men or women.10 In many developing countries rising fuel prices are causing a significant number of urban workers to switch from motorized vehicles to equine powered carts, like Pakistan and India.11 This is more important in developing countries where working equines are still essential and are the only source of income for their owners.
Despite their huge numbers and significant contribution to the communities and the national economy, the attention given to study the health aspects of working equines in Ethiopia is quite
minimal. Among the multiple health and welfare problems affecting working equines, infectious diseases are one of the major constraints to their productivity and work performance. A proper health state is not only a prerequisite for welfare but also in the case of working animals it is important for proper levels of work output and efficiency.
Vet Med Open J. 2020; 5(2): 30-38. doi: 10.17140/VMOJ-5-146
