ASSESSING THE ECONOMIC-IMPACT OF IMMUNIZATION AGAINST EAST-COAST FEVER - A CASE-STUDY IN COAST-PROVINCE, KENYA

The cost of immunising cattle against East Coast fever by the infectio n and treatment method has been calculated for a pilot scheme in Kalol eni Division of the Coast Province of Kenya by using a spreadsheet mod el, The cost was calculated to be KSh 544 (US$ 25) per animal (in 1990 values), If a farmer were to bear all this cost, immunisation would b e financially profitable in grade cattle, but the benefits of immunisa tion would not be sufficient to justify the immunisation of zebu cattl e. For these animals, the cost of immunisation mould have to be in the range of KSh 230 to KSh 415 per animal, or the farm-gate price of mil k would have to increase by at least 80 per cent from KSh 7.50 to 13.5 0/litre, or the government would have to subsidise the cost either par tially or fully, The first two possibilities are realistic, because th e costs of routine immunisation are likely to be lower than for the pi lot scheme, and because the increasing demand for milk is likely to pu sh up prices in the liberalised markets, If both the grade and zebu ca ttle in Kaloleni Division were targets for immunisation, it is estimat ed that there would be 14,500 head for immunisation annually, costing an estimated KSh 8 million, The spreadsheet model used to assess the e conomics of immunisation in the Kaloleni Division could be applied to determine the government or private veterinary service charges for imm unisation that would be financially profitable to farmers in a defined cattle production system in any division, district or country, The mo del could also be used to estimate the annual total number of cattle f or immunisation in a target cattle production system and thus help wit h the financial planning for the exercise.