From the Data Room ….

Key to COMACO’s success as an enduring model for conservation and rural development is its capacity to learn from its successes and mistakes. WCS staff, working with Cornell and Berkeley Universities, as well as other local partners, undertake this work and report on new and interesting results ‘from the data room, managed by Kabila Makanda. In this issue, we present:

1. Vaccination of new drug to fight Newcastle disease gives hope to rural poultry producers and an alternative to game meat

In 2007 COMACO began a large-scale experimental program to test the effectiveness of a new heat-tolerant vaccine to protect village chickens from the devastating mortality caused by Newcastle disease. The research selected villages from five different chiefs’ areas for the vaccination exercise where households were sensitized about the vaccine and procedures for vaccination. Part of the experiment was also to assess the willingness by poultry owners to pay a nominal fee (K200) per bird vaccinated to help self-finance this service by COMACO. Training was undertaken to enable local vaccinators to administer the drug, called NDV4 HR, by using a dropper to release one drop of the vaccine onto the eye of a chicken. The initiative identified 5 control areas where chickens did not receive the vaccine. A simple comparison between the control and experimental areas provided a test of the vaccine’s effectiveness. The vaccine requires three vaccinations per bird during the year to keep vaccinated birds safe from Newcastle for 4-5 month period. The work began in July 2007 with a total of 5,629 birds vaccinated. In November a comparison was made with the control population. Results from both samples are provided below. Final results for all three vaccinations will be reported on in the May newsletter edition.

2. Mapping apiaries for improved monitoring of beekeeping in game management areas

COMACO has introduced over 10,000 beehives throughout its program area and most of these hives are in game management area where the program seeks to add increased economic value to the conservation of natural woodland habitats for both wildlife and the production of honey. Each trading centre has its own database and staff for keeping this information up-to-date. Shown below is a map describing the location of apiaries, or bee-keeping centres where more than one hive are kept to attract a healthy population of bees, in Upper Lupande Game Management Area near Mfuwe airport.

3 Monitoring sales of It’s Wild! products in Lusaka

COMACO tracks a 5-year business plan designed to make COMACO financially self-sustaining by 2010. To achieve this target, the DataRoom uses business indicators to assess COMACO’s success in scaling up It’s Wild! product sales. Each month, sales data for each of the sales and marketing centres for COMACO are summarized and graphed. Shown below are sales data for Lusaka. Variations in sales demonstrate the challenges of maintaining constant supplies for retailers and the need to increase total number of retail outlet. Over the past three months, number of sales outlets has more than doubled to 53.