Dreaded tree worms its way to essential livestock drugs list
Prosopis juliflora commonly known as mathenge. It is a tree that has been perceived as poisonous to both humans and livestock, but Prof Patrick Kareru of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology has managed to come up with a livestock de-wormer from it. PHOTO|FILE.
What you need to know:
Using about Sh4.5 million, Prof Patrick Kareru of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology has managed to come up with a livestock de-wormer from prosopis juliflora, commonly known as the mathenge tree.
“This tree has more advantages than disadvantages,” says Prof Kareru.
The mathenge tree was first introduced into the country in the early 1980s by a botanist who went by the name Mathenge.
Apart from being used to manufacture medicine for livestock, the mathenge tree can also be used to improve the livelihoods of desert communities by providing shade, high quality timber, charcoal, and animal feed.
It is a tree that has been perceived as poisonous to both humans and livestock, but a professor from a local university is working to change this perception.
Using about Sh4.5 million, Prof Patrick Kareru of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology has managed to come up with a livestock de-wormer from prosopis juliflora, commonly known as the mathenge tree.
