Chronicle Editor
Sikhulekelani Moyo, Business Reporter
OVER 30 000 livestock farmers in Matabeleland South Province have been trained and capacitated with the information and equipment needed to fight theileriosis better known as January disease.
January disease is transmitted by ticks and is more prevalent during the rainy season.
Affected animals usually collapse and die within a few days.
According to the Department of Veterinary Services, tick-borne diseases are responsible for about 60 percent of annual losses in livestock.
This has triggered Government efforts to mitigate the losses associated with the disease, which has seen the province lose about 700 cattle to theileriosis while about 200 animals died from the black leg.
Tick-borne diseases have in recent years, wreaked havoc in the cattle industry, leaving a trail of destruction with more than half a million succumbing to theileriosis between 2015 and 2016.
Most communal farmers had their herds wiped out by the January disease, leaving them without draught power.
Matabeleland South provincial veterinary services director, Dr Enat Mdlongwa said the Government through the Department of Veterinary Services has made strides in mitigating the disease.
“We have so far trained over 30 000 people throughout Matabeleland South province against this disease and every dipping session is an awareness campaign,” said Dr Mdlongwa.
“We have also distributed tick grease to our hotspot areas where we want people to dip their animals and smear the grease in areas where dipping cannot be effective.”
Dr Mdlongwa also said they have instituted a 5-5-4 dipping regime where farmers are allowed to dip their animals following the intervals set.
“That is a panacea for the destruction of the brown ear tick and it is working very well in areas where the disease is ravaging our animals,” he said.
A majority of farmers in Matabeleland South, particularly in communal areas, have adopted livestock farming as a commercial entity, a development that is set to boost the province’s herd and contribute to the growth of the national herd.
As part of efforts to grow the national herd, the Government under the Second Republic has put in place measures to boost the production of livestock in both communal and resettlement areas.
President Mnangagwa launched the Presidential Livestock Scheme as part of efforts to grow the livestock sub-sector. Under the scheme, farmers are receiving legume seeds, fertilisers and forage sorghum among other inputs.
Distribution of the inputs is set to boost the creation of forage banks for improved animal nutrition.
Under the Livestock Recovery Growth Plan (2020-25), Government has since identified diseases, as a barrier to livestock sector growth, which requires the nation to adopt intervention measures that position the sector to contribute effectively to economic development. — @SikhulekelaniM1
Sidumisile Mabena