Cattle Disease Wreaks Havoc in Libya

Some farmers have reported losing 70 percent of their cattle to the disease in Libya's Misrata - AFP 
Some farmers have reported losing 70 percent of their cattle to the disease in Libya's Misrata - AFP 
TT
20

Cattle Disease Wreaks Havoc in Libya

Some farmers have reported losing 70 percent of their cattle to the disease in Libya's Misrata - AFP 
Some farmers have reported losing 70 percent of their cattle to the disease in Libya's Misrata - AFP 

On Najmeddine Tantoun's farm on the outskirts of the western Libyan city of Misrata, the usual whir of hundreds of dairy milking machines has given way to near silence.

The farmer has lost almost half his cows to an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, a highly contagious illness affecting hoofed animals.

The outbreak in Libya has dealt a major blow to many cattle farmers, who say they have yet to receive vaccines for their animals as dairy and meat production suffers.

Most of the North African country's revenue comes from its oil resources, but Misrata is a major dairy center which used to produce 70,000 liters of milk a day.

Some farmers have reported losing 70 percent of their cattle to the disease in Libya's Misrata, AFP reported.
Output has now fallen to 20,000 per day, according to Salem al-Badri, 45, head of the city's committee of cattle farmers.

Tantoun, 27, said "the future looks bleak".

"I almost lost everything," he said. "From 742 cows, we lost about 300. This disease is destroying our livelihoods."

The disease particularly affects ruminant livestock, such as cattle, sheep and goats. It causes fever, blisters -- and sometimes death.

In Misrata, some farmers have reported losing about 70 percent of their cattle to the disease, according to Badri's committee.

"We are heading towards a catastrophe," Badri, who is also in charge of the city's animal health office, said during a visit to Tantoun's farm.

Milk production has fallen from 70,000 to 20,000 litres because of the outbreak, a local committee head says

"The delay in vaccines has cost us dearly," he added. "Most of the cows in Misrata are now infected and we have no choice but to slaughter them to stop the epidemic."

The disease has also inflicted financial hardship on consumers as shortages drive up the price of meat and dairy.

Badri said another cattle ailment called lumpy skin disease has also had an impact, with foreign buyers growing wary of importing Libyan cowhide.

Authorities in the east and west have rolled out emergency vaccination plans with support from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, but some farmers said the response had often come too late.

Badri said a group of cattle farmers have filed a lawsuit with the attorney general.

One of the main causes of the spread of these diseases is the illegal importation of animals without veterinary control, the agriculture ministry has said.

Additionally, contamination spreads uncontrollably as cases are not reported to local authorities in time, it said, adding that some cattle might have died without being reported either.

"We depend entirely on these animals for our livelihood," said Tantoun, adding that he had "given everything" for his farm to succeed.

"Losing so many cows is an economic disaster."

He called on authorities in Misrata "not only to provide the necessary vaccines" but also "to compensate" cattle farmers whose cows have suffered from the disease.

Farmer Ali Ghabag said he has completely given up on cattle farming "out of fear for the future".

"Nobody wants to continue in this sector anymore," the 40-year-old said.

"The risks have become too big, and we don't know if we will overcome this crisis."



First Skydiver to Fall Faster than the Speed of Sound Dies in Crash in Italy, City’s Mayor Says

Austria skydiver Felix Baumgartner holds the Laureus World Action Sportsperson trophy as he poses for pictures during the Year at the Laureus World Sports Awards in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, March 11, 2013. (AP)
Austria skydiver Felix Baumgartner holds the Laureus World Action Sportsperson trophy as he poses for pictures during the Year at the Laureus World Sports Awards in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, March 11, 2013. (AP)
TT
20

First Skydiver to Fall Faster than the Speed of Sound Dies in Crash in Italy, City’s Mayor Says

Austria skydiver Felix Baumgartner holds the Laureus World Action Sportsperson trophy as he poses for pictures during the Year at the Laureus World Sports Awards in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, March 11, 2013. (AP)
Austria skydiver Felix Baumgartner holds the Laureus World Action Sportsperson trophy as he poses for pictures during the Year at the Laureus World Sports Awards in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, March 11, 2013. (AP)

Extreme athlete Felix Baumgartner, the first skydiver to fall faster than the speed of sound during a 24-mile leap through the stratosphere more than a decade ago, died in a crash Thursday along the eastern coast of Italy, according to an official where the crash occurred. He was 56.

Italian firefighters who responded said a paraglider crashed into the side of a swimming pool in the city of Porto Sant Elpidio.

The city's mayor, Massimiliano Ciarpella, confirmed Baumgartner's death in a social media post.

“Our community is deeply affected by the tragic disappearance of Felix Baumgartner, a figure of global prominence, a symbol of courage and passion for extreme flight," the mayor said.

Baumgartner, known as “Fearless Felix,” stunned the world in 2012 when he became the first human to break the sound barrier with only his body. He wore a pressurized suit and jumped from a capsule hoisted more than 24 miles (39 kilometers) above Earth by a giant helium balloon over New Mexico.

The Austrian, who was part of the Red Bull Stratos team, topped out at 843.6 mph — the equivalent of 1.25 times the speed of sound — during a nine-minute descent.

“When I was standing there on top of the world, you become so humble, you do not think about of breaking records anymore, you do not think of about gaining scientific data. The only thing you want is to come back alive,” he said after landing in the eastern New Mexico desert.

The altitude he jumped from also marked the highest-ever for a skydiver, shattering the previous record set in 1960 by Joe Kittinger, who served as an adviser to Baumgartner during his feat.

Baumgartner’s altitude record stood for two years until Google executive Alan Eustace set new marks for the highest free-fall jump and greatest free-fall distance.

In 2012, millions watched YouTube’s livestream as Baumgartner coolly flashed a thumbs-up when he came out of the capsule high above Earth and then activated his parachute as he neared the ground, lifting his arms in victory after he landed.

He later said traveling faster than sound is “hard to describe because you don’t feel it.”

“Sometimes we have to get really high to see how small we are,” he said.