Basic Knowledge in Agriculture #104
Hello everyone. Good morning from my side. I am glad to be part of this contest in the Steem-Agro community. This week we are talking about an interesting topic. The topic is Disease Surveillance.
In Nigeria where I live, farming is our main work. Most families either plant crops or raise animals. But sometimes sickness comes to the farm and destroys everything. One sick animal can make the whole farm sick. That is why this topic is very important to us.
WHAT IS DISEASE SURVEILLANCE
Disease Surveillance means to keep a close eye on the farm. It is the act of watching and checking.
A good farmer will go around his farm every morning. He will look at his chickens. Are they active? Are they eating? Is their stool normal? He will also look at his crops. Is the leaf color normal? Is there any insect or spot on it?
When he sees something that is not normal, he will not keep quiet. He will write it down and call a vet doctor or an extension worker. He will also tell other farmers nearby.
So in short, Disease Surveillance is a system of watching, finding, reporting, and acting fast. It helps us catch disease at the beginning, not at the end.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT IN AGRICULTURE?
This system is very important for many reasons.
One, it stops disease from spreading. If you remove one sick goat early, you save 20 goats.
Two, it reduces loss. A farmer will not lose all his money if he acts fast. Buying drugs for one animal is cheaper than buying for 100 animals.
Three, it gives us safe food. When animals and crops are healthy, the food we eat is also healthy and safe.
Four, it helps the government to plan. When farmers report diseases, the government will know which disease is in which area and how to help.
I remember last year, a man in my area lost almost 200 broilers because he did not check them well. He thought they were just tired, but it was a serious disease. If he had good surveillance, he would have saved some.
CONCLUSION
To me, Disease Surveillance is one of the best things a farmer should learn. You don't need big money to do it. You just need to be serious, observant, and quick to report.
If all farmers do this, we will have less disease, more food, and more profit.
Thanks for reading my entry.
I invite @qureshi1972 @an8gel @jannat12