adminEllah Mukwati Herald Reporter
The Zimbabwe Republic Police on Friday launched a campaign to encourage farmers to brand their livestock to curb thefts. Assistant Commissioner in Charge of Crime and Operations in Chitungwiza District (Mashonaland East) Khumbula Ndebele said the campaign was part of the police efforts to promote the growth of the national herd. “The ZRP, as a critical player in the implementation of the economic blueprint, Zim-Asset, has been doing its best to preserve the national herd. While several strategies exist to ensure that the national herd is not depleted through stocktheft, cattle branding has proved to be one of the other measures,” he said.
“It is therefore imperative that farmers embrace this initiative and prevent unnecessary losses. The ZRP committed itself to continue assisting farmers to obtain personal brand certificates and also to assist those with personal brand certificates to acquire branding irons.”
Asst Comm Ndebele said there was a decrease in the number of cattle stolen in the province. “Between January and September 2015, the province recorded six cases as compared to 12 recorded in the same period in 2014, giving a 50 percent decrease,” he said.
“There was also a marginal decrease in the number of cattle stolen, where seven cattle were stolen in the period January and September 2015 compared to 17 stolen the same period in 2014, giving a decrease of 58 percent.”
He said Government, through the Veterinary and Livestock Department, was also contributing through the implementation of zonal brands that identified cattle with a particular area. He urged farmers to insure their livestock against any losses as a result of thefts and natural disasters.
The provincial veterinary officer on brands, Mrs Kudzai Chinyoka, said all farmers should brand their cattle. “This initiative helps all the farmers in the prevention of the spread of diseases as branded cattle can be easily identified by the areas they originate from,” she said.
Online Reporter