Policy Document on Livestock in Malawi.

The Policy Document on Livestock in Malawi is a sectoral policy with the following specific objectives: respond to the challenges of poverty reduction in Malawi; liberalize marketing and involvement of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and farmer groups; specifically tailor the livestock development strategies to contribute to challenges of poverty reduction and improvement of rural livelihoods in Malawi; coordinate and network the roles of the various stakeholders in the Livestock sub-sector, and in particular the private sector (commercial producers), NGOs, Farmers Associations and Cooperatives and the public sector; facilitate capacity development in the livestock sub-sector. The overall goal of the policy is to contribute towards national developmental objectives aimed at reducing poverty, improving rural livelihoods, and relates to empowerment of producers and the welfare of the consumers, and conservation of the environment through the provision of appropriate animal husbandry, health and public health services. Government will facilitate sustainable livestock production and productivity through promoting the introduction of technologies into the livestock sector that are environmentally friendly, cost-effective and guarantees consumer safety. A sustainable livestock development to improve nutritional well-being of Malawians and improved rural livelihoods while guaranteeing the safety of the general public from consumption and utilization of livestock products and by-products. The Government policy on animal health is to: protect the national herd flock against priority trade sensitive diseases in order to safeguard the national economy and to control production diseases in order to improve animal production; control zoonotic diseases to protect the human population, and consumers against food-borne diseases. The policy shall be executed in conformity with the animal health international protocols and codes of the SADC Livestock Sector Coordination Programme, the African Union InterAfrican Bureau of Animal Resources (OJ\U/IBAR) and the Office for International Epizootics (OIE).