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Elton Manguwo
WITH the Government looking to increase the national cattle herd riding on the projected decrease in mortality rates to below 5 percent by 2025, a lot of effort is now directed at implementing measures that maintain the current momentum in reducing tick-borne related deaths.
In an interview recently, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development permanent secretary Dr John Basera said efforts were being made to drive mortality rates to figures below five percent down from the current six percent.
“To grow our cattle sector, there is need for sharp sustained growth that can be realised by curbing deaths from tick-borne diseases,” said Dr Basera.
The Government introduced programmes such as the Presidential blitz tick grease and the Presidential Dip tank rehabilitation to decrease the mortality rates, which have seen the herd growing from 5 478 648 cattle in 2020 to 5 509 983 in 2022.
“The dip resuscitating programme will improve basic dip tank infrastructure in the country while the tick grease programme will complement dipping by targeting specific areas such as under the tail,” said Dr Basera.
Currently, there are over 2 900 dip tanks, which are functional with the Government also pushing to have further 1 000 operational by end of 2023. This makes dipping the most sustainable way of containing January disease and other tick-bone related diseases.
The Government is also has pushing to augment the manufacturing of the Theileria bolvac vaccination programme as part of the implementation of the national integrated ticks and tick-borne disease control strategy.
The effective use of Theileria vaccine together with other measures will result in the reduction of cattle mortalities while promoting higher production, productivity and profitability as envisaged in the livestock and recovery growth plan.
Tick-borne diseases are a threat to the national herd with January disease killing more than 500, 000 cattle valued at more than US$150 million between 2018 and 2022.
According to the second Crop, Livestock and Fisheries Assessment report (CLAFA 2), the country’s cattle mortality rates have been on a downward spiral with a two percent decline from 11 percent recorded in 2020 to nine percent in 2021 and a three percent decline to six percent in 2022 with dipping reported to being adequately done during the period.
“The decrease in mortality rates will keep us on track to reaching six million by end of this year from the current 5, 5 million,” said Dr Basera.
Online Reporter