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Herald Correspondent
Rehabilitating dip tanks across the country is continuing to combat and contain the January disease and other tick borne infections.
Permanent Secretary for Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Dr John Basera, said the Government was on a drive to revive all the non-functioning dip tanks and the best way to fight the spread of the January disease was to dip cattle regularly.
He said every farmer was required by law to take their cattle for dipping since it was an offence not to do so. Dr Basera said farmers must follow the 5-4-4 dipping regime, which entails dipping cattle after five days and after four days and then after another four days.
“We are on a spree to resuscitate dip tanks,” he said.
“We do have about 4 000 dip tanks in the country, but only 2 900 are functional. We need to put those that are not functional to function so we are in a blitz to resuscitate all the dip tanks in the country so that they are fully functional and so that we are able to enforce the 5-4-4 dipping regime.”
Dr Basera said his ministry was in the process of supplying and distributing dipping chemicals.
To make sure that the January disease does not spread, the Government was pushing and rolling out the tick grease programme.
“We think the tick grease programme is a game changer and following the 5-4-4 dipping regime and in between dipping, the farmers are recommended to apply and smear tick grease to their animals, especially to those on their feeding sites,” Dr Basera said.
Online Reporter