A cost-benefit analysis of foot and mouth disease control program for
smallholder cattle farmers in Cambodia
Abstract
The Cambodian government is attempting to mobilise government, donor and
private sector funding to implement a coordinated FMD vaccination
program (FMDVP). A necessary first step is to convince the farmers of
the benefits of participating in and potentially financially supporting
this program. Information was collected from 300 farmers in order to
estimate the on-farm benefits and costs of their participation in an
FMDVP. Implementing a successful vaccination program is difficult, and
farmers understand from previous experience that there may be
institutional, social, technical and financial constraints which limit
its success. A benefit-cost analysis needs to take into account that
outbreaks do not occur every year, not all cattle will be successfully
vaccinated, not all sick animals successfully treated and sometimes sick
animals simply sold. This study sensitises these variables in order to
give a realistic estimation of the farmer participation benefits in an
FMDVP. A general result is that it is worthwhile for farmers to
participate in the FMDVP if there are average annual outbreaks, or at
least two major outbreaks, in the ensuing five years. However, the
results are influenced by the interaction of vaccination success and
treatment success and coverage. Ineffective coverage and poor treatment
of sick animals reduce the benefits of an FMDVP. It is also important
that farmers do not sell sick stock and, if they do, that they are able
to breed replacements rather than purchase replacements. There are many
factors in the smallholder cattle farming system that will influence the
success of an FMDVP; farmers will only choose to participate if they can
be convinced of the short and long-term economic benefits.