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Tariro Stacey Gatsi
WITH regional countries – South Africa and Mozambique still smarting from recent cases of bird flu that caused significant mortalities, local farmers have applauded the Government for destroying chicks that had been smuggled into the country from neighbouring Zambia, as surveillance measures to prevent the importing of the virus into the country continue.
Zimbabwe Poultry Association chairperson Mr Solomon Zawe yesterday said his organisation backed Government’s move to destroy the illegal consignment saying it was aimed at protecting the local poultry industry from collapse.
“A job well done by the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) in executing the task. We have to do awareness campaigns to educate farmers and traders on how illegal imports destroy the industry. Cheaply imported day-old chicks are lethal to the local poultry industry. There is no need to import, as we have more than enough chicks with traceable records,” said Mr Zawe.
Mr Zawe’s comments come on the backdrop of the destruction of 85 boxes of live chicks, containing around 8 500 chicks that had been smuggled into Zimbabwe via Chirundu one-stop border post on Tuesday this week by the DVS.
The destruction was meant to curb the spread of the highly pathogenic Avian Influenza reported in South Africa that resulted in the death of 20 percent of its national chicken population and the ensuing shortage of eggs and poultry.
Zimbabwe has heightened measures to control movement of poultry products at border posts to control the outbreak of the disease.
Mr Zawe said there were no chick shortages in the market and all value chain players had fully funded operations adding that Zimbabwe had enough chicks to meet national demand for both consumption and commercial use.
“We are producing enough, though there is a three-week ordering period before one gets the supply. There is a lot of stock, feed and eggs on the market at the moment and into the festive period, though the stockfeed side is experiencing shortages of soya beans and maize and resorting to imports,” he added.
Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere also added that Government had instituted various preventative measures to protect the country’s poultry sector.
“The Department of Veterinary Services has activated the Rapid Response Teams and is conducting awareness campaigns to the poultry industry value chain players and the public on the urgent need to strengthen their bio-security measures. The poultry sector is urged to institute measures that limit movement of people, feed and farm equipment from other poultry enterprises and not to feed wild birds coming to the homestead or farm,” said Minister Muswere during last Tuesday’s post-cabinet media briefing.
Online Reporter