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Exposure to aflatoxin B1 can impact livestock by lowering milk yields, causing stunting and late development in young stock, increasing the risk of disease and even death by poisoning. By implementing good agricultural practices, dairy farmers can minimize the risk of aflatoxin contamination and safeguard both human health and their livelihoods.
Aflatoxin can have a negative effect on farmer incomes. Poor conversion of food to yield leads to suppressed production. Aflatoxin can also lead to spontaneous abortion in your dairy herd, resulting in wasted time between lactations. Furthermore, aflatoxin contaminated milk may be rejected by regulatory enforcers and processors, leading to reduced incomes.
How to Make it safe
More on Milk Safety
About Aflatoxins
Here are some strategies that farmers can use to mitigate aflatoxin contamination:
- Buy feed from companies that guarantee aflatoxin safe feed.
- Follow good practice in silage and hay making or buy from reputable suppliers.
- Ask for an aflatoxin test on feed materials that you buy
- Avoid using home grown poor quality maize as cattle feed. If you wouldn’t eat it, your cows shouldn’t either.
About Antibiotics
When antibiotics are administered to lactating cows, the antibiotics transfer to the milk, posing a risk to consumers. This can lead to the buildup of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in individuals who consume milk and dairy products containing low levels of antibiotics.
This resistance, known as Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), reduces the effectiveness of antibiotics in treating infections in both humans and animals. Globally, antibiotic-resistant infections contribute to 4.95 million deaths annually, with 22% occurring in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Recent milk testing in Kenya by the Kenya Dairy Board found high levels of antibiotics. This is dangerous for consumers, as consuming milk with antibiotics can contribute to antibiotic resistance (AMR) in humans.
- Use antibiotics responsibly
Only use antibiotics prescribed by a veterinarian.
Use the correct drug, dosage, and administration method as recommended on the bottle. - Strictly follow withdrawal times
Identify treated cows:
Mark treated cows with paint or tail tags.
Milk treated cows last and dispose of their milk immediately.
- Document treatment details (cow, drug, date, withdrawal period). Download Digicow app for digital record keeping.
- Inform milkers about treated cows and withdrawal times.