MANBIJ, Syria (North Press) – Some families in Manbij, northern Syria rely on livestock, while some breed a cow or more to sell the dairy product in order to secure their daily need.
There are about 4,500 cows in Manbij, according to statistics by Livestock Foundation in the city.
The cows’ price has recently increased, causing a disaster for the family in case the cow died or got a disease.
Additionally, cow breeders suffer from the lack of treatments and vaccines for infected cows, causing some to sell their cows for low prices.
Zuhair Hussein, a resident from Manbij, decided to sell his cow at a low price, after failed attempts that cost him about SYP 200.000.
“I bought the cow for SYP 4.000.000, and I was forced to sell it for only SYP 500,000,” Hussein said.
“Due to the severe lack of vaccines, cows have infected recently,” Muhammad Ahmad, a veterinarian from Manbij, said.
“We are heading towards winter, where there will be a wide spread of diseases like smallpox and foot-and-mouth disease among cows, and the area will face a disaster regarding the livestock,” he added.
The vet stated, they submitted for the Livestock Foundation in Manbij, in which “We explained the current situation and the amount of vaccine required for prevention.”
Fatima Manla, the co-chair of the Livestock Foundation in Manbij, confirmed that the lack of vaccine was the reason in the rising number of the diseased livestock.
Manla told North Press, the foundation was working hard to secure the required vaccines, but it would take maximum 15 days, because of the difficulty of importing the vaccine from outside the city.
(Reporting by Saddam Hassan)