Catastrophe approaches as sewage spills overflow in Kuwait's vital agricultural region.
Sulaibiya's agricultural heartland in Kuwait is grappling with a twin crisis, involving both livestock health issues and infrastructure woes. This predicament is causing a massive impact on the farms and overall operational stability.
The main health emergency stems from a nasty outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) that surfaced on April 6, decimating over 3,000 cows by early May. On top of that, whispers of a brand-new environmental threat are swirling, potentially making matters even worse.
Recently, a treated wastewater pipeline burst, leading to stagnant water pooling between the farms, forming smelly lakes. This polluted water is the perfect breeding ground for diseases and insects, posing additional threats to the already precarious health status of the livestock.
Amid this alarming situation, Abdul Hakeem Al-Ahmad, the Chairman of the Fresh Dairy Producers Union, has appealed to the relevant authorities, especially the Ministry of Public Works, to take swift action. He underscored the importance of Sulaibiya farms in ensuring a steady supply of fresh dairy products and maintaining national food security.
Al-Ahmad warned that deteriorated infrastructure - like rotten roads and untreated sewage leaks - are now contributing to the spread of health hazards. The foul-smelling water pools could serve as breeding grounds for unwanted pests such as mosquitoes, stray dogs, or other disease carriers, potentially introducing new diseases to the area and beyond.
This double whammy of environmental neglect and on-going livestock disease outbreak has led to a significant drop in milk production, causing grassroots farmers to suffer and the broader dairy sector to feel the pinch.
Urging for immediate repairs to both the road network and wastewater infrastructure, Al-Ahmad cautioned, "If the situation is left unaddressed, the risk of epidemic disease spreading to nearby residential areas will multiply - posing a severe threat to public health and Kuwait's food production system stability."
- Abdul Hakeem Al-Ahmad, the Chairman of the Fresh Dairy Producers Union, has warned that the surge in foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) among livestock and the stagnant, polluted water due to a burst wastewater pipeline can lead to new diseases.
- The health status of livestock in Sulaibiya's agricultural heartland is precarious, with the FMD outbreak and the foul-smelling water pools serving as a potential breeding ground for mosquitoes, stray dogs, and other disease carriers.
- The environmental threat from the polluted water is causing a significant drop in milk production, leading to grassroots farmers suffering and the broader dairy sector feeling the pinch.
- Al-Ahmad urged the relevant authorities to swiftly address the poor infrastructure, including rotten roads and untreated sewage leaks, to prevent the risk of epidemic diseases spreading to nearby residential areas, potentially threatening Kuwait's public health and food production system stability.
