COVID-19 has had a substantial impact on many sectors at the global, regional, and national levels, including the livestock sector [14]. It is important to recognize the impacts of COVID 19 crisis on the contributions of livestock towards household nutrition, global food security, and economic growth. In the present study, a survey was conducted in four selected districts of East Wollega zone (Sibu Sire, Guto Gida, Leka Dulecha, and Jima Arjo) with the objective of assessing major challenges in animal farming practices, marketing chains, animal health care practices and consumer perception during the COVID 19 pandemic.
In the study area, animal production has been considered as the main component of agricultural development. About 270/400 (67.5%) of the respondents were keeping livestock for different purposes such as traction power, dairy and poultry products, and manure. Chickens were the main source of income in the study site, followed by dairy, meat selling and beef fattening while a few are government employees. According to this survey, small-scale livestock owners and regular livestock product sellers such as butchers, dairy, and poultry products sellers were one of the major distributors of livestock and livestock products to local consumers, restaurants, hotels and markets.
In the present study, livestock owners, animal farm owners, managers, farm workers, dairy shops, butchers, abattoirs, hotels, and local consumers were interviewed to assess the major impacts of COVID 19 pandemic on livestock farming practices, marketing channel, animal health care practices and consumer perceptions. According to this survey, the pandemic's has created an impact on livestock production and value chain that are critical to deliver economic, social, and nutritional gains in the study areas. Disruptions in the business as a result of the COVID-19 crisis are creating challenges for the distribution of livestock products. The constraints during the COVID-19 outbreak were from the production process to marketing and consumption of animal products. Based on the survey, small-scale farmers, hotels, and private sectors engaged in the production, processing, and distribution of livestock products were critically affected following the pandemic. Observational studies indicated that dairy shops, meat shops, and local abattoirs, which were the major livestock product distributors, were totally closed especially during the first 6 months of the pandemic.
The survey showed that the consumption of livestock products such as meat, dairy, and poultry products in the study area was not as usual since the start of the COVID-19 crisis. Regarding the income, daily income from livestock products was declining with prices slightly lowered in retail and local markets since the start of the COVID 19 outbreak. The primary constraints were the measures taken by the government such as lockdown, shortage of man power, and decline of income. Inability to purchase veterinary inputs due to economic decline, low number of laborers, veterinarians, and other farm workers due to calls to stay at home and social distance has affected the routine farm activities in the study area. The lockdown to tackle the pandemic meant that closure of local markets, hotels, abattoirs, and other animal-oriented business that were essential in the distribution of animals /products to consumers, local hotels and markets. The small-scale producers and distributors who rely on animal production for their livelihoods are facing difficulties in selling live animals and products.
Regarding to consumer perception, 164 (41%) of the total respondents in the survey were avoiding the consumption of animal-sourced foods due to the perceived COVID-19 risk. This low demand for livestock products might be linked to Ethiopian media reports at the beginning of the outbreak suggesting that consumption of livestock products such as meat, dairy, and poultry products can result in greater chances of infection. The Ministry of Health has warned the public to avoid consumption of raw foods because of the potential risk of contamination through droplets coming from food handlers. Thus, the perception of risk from livestock products remains particularly meat and dairy products. Similar surveys in Addis Ababa indicated a significant drop in the demand for livestock products such as meat and milk due to consumer fear of disease risk.
Different studies indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic's has had a negative impact on livestock production and supply chain. Many livestock producers and traders have lost their global or local market opportunities, and thus their incomes [14, 20]. Some studies in Ethiopia also indicated COVID-19 has a wide range of impacts on livestock production, consumption of food of animal origin, and value chains [20, 15]. A qualitative appraisal survey conducted between April 15 and May 10, in Addis Ababa on the dairy value chain supplied showed that commercial and small dairy farmers in urban and rural areas, dairy processors, traders, development agents, urban retailers, and consumers were affected [21]. Previous abattoir survey in Ethiopia indicates that the export abattoirs were facing difficulties to export meat to Middle East [22].
In the present study, the indirect impacts of COVID-19 on animal health care practices have been also studied. Both veterinary professionals and clients were included in the survey. Accordingly, about 89.75% (365/400) respondents agreed as COVID 19 has an indirect impact on the health of animals. Based on the survey, the most important animal health constraints during this pandemic were unusual preventive practices such as vaccination and deworming, scarcity of drugs at the veterinary clinic, low number of veterinarians, unable to cover the cost of drugs and personnel. The other reasons mentioned were measurements taken such as partial lockdown and physical distancing to combat the pandemic. About 276 (69) respondents were facing difficulties in treating sick animals; while about 255 (63.75) did not vaccinate or deworm their animals during the pandemic. It is suggested that restrictions on human activities affect veterinary services and therefore, affect animal health. This is due to that the COVID-19 outbreak negatively disrupted regular activity. This led to restrictions on the activities of veterinary professionals and insufficient application of daily routine veterinary practices. Such a situation limits a close monitoring of animal requirements and health status and thus impedes the intervention to tackle animal health problems.