Credit for animals

In some areas animals may be available only through project-run holding stations or permanent ranches. Animals are bred, castrated, raised, and trained by project personnel, and then sold to farmers. Or animals may simply be imported, medically screened, and then sold, either by themselves or as part of a larger animal/equipment technical package. Farmers requesting loans for the purchase of animals may have to meet the following preconditions:

• Provide an animal care plan (see above).

• Purchase a "Health Card". This is a prepaid form or ticket which lists both scheduled and actual treatments or checks performed by veterinary personnel. The card is purchased each year; it may be a standard feature of an animal insurance policy.

• Enroll in an animal insurance policy program. An increasingly popular idea with programmers and farmers alike, the policy covers credit bought animals lost to disease or accident. Premiums are paid annually.

• Become a member of an animal clinic. In some programs, farmer associations purchase and stock veterinary supplies to ensure against national shortages; animals are then grouped and treated by trained veterinary personnel. Vaccination days, or organizational meetings of the association, may be used as forums where preventive medicine, disease control, or animal nutrition are discussed.