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Obert Chifamba
Agriculture Editor
AS the spectre of cattle poverty deaths recedes, farmers must remain vigilant and protect their animals during the peak tick activity of the wet season, the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS), has warned.
DVS chief director Dr Pious Makaya yesterday urged cattle farmers to remember that the same rains that have given them relief from cattle poverty deaths can still be the major source of their grief, as tick activities tend to rise during wet and humid weather conditions.
“Tick activity is at peak during wet and humid weather conditions like the current ones so farmers must ensure that they dip their cattle religiously. There is no excuse for not dipping their cattle. The country has enough dipping chemicals to see us through. We can always secure more in the event of shortages given that chemicals are being manufactured locally,” said Dr Makaya.
Dr Makaya said farmers in A2 communities where there are no Government-constructed dip tanks should make sure they establish their own or use either pour-on chemicals or spray dips to make sure their cattle are safe from ticks.
“It is every farmer’s responsibility to protect his livestock from diseases some of which are of zoonotic or economic importance. Diseases like foot and mouth in cattle and Newcastle in poultry are of economic importance given that they can cause economic losses if allowed free reign. The zoonotic category includes diseases like rabies and Avian influenza that can be communicated from animals to people and farmers must do everything within their capacities to contain them,” added Dr Makaya.
Dr Makaya’s comments come on the backdrop of close to a million cattle deaths due to tick-borne diseases in recent times and Government has since gone all out to set the stage for the re-building of the national herd, which had taken a huge knock from the scourge. He revealed that DVS had introduced an integrated dipping programme whose primary objective is to control ticks and eradicate tick-borne diseases.
He added that they were working closely with traditional leaders to make sure dipping regulations are observed in their different localities.
“There are high chances that some farmers deliberately understate the number of cattle they have to avoid paying dipping fees that are pegged at US$2 per annum per beast. Such farmers end up leaving some on the undeclared animals home when they go to dip their herds so the involvement of traditional leaders will help curb such behaviours, as they have knowledge of their subjects and their cattle herds.
“In some cases some farmers miss dipping schedules because they are taking cattle for relief grazing in areas where there is no such infrastructure and such animals later continue to spread ticks,” explained Dr Makaya.
He also urged farmers to deworm and vaccinate their livestock regularly to contain diseases such as anthrax whose spores are present in the soil from where cattle pick them alongside germinating grass.
Online Reporter