Cattle movements the root cause of January Disease...

Cattle movements the root cause of January Disease, farmers say

Zim Now Writer

Livestock farmers in Insiza District, the bulk of whom lost scores of cattle to January Disease recently have piled the blame on illegal movement of tick-infested cattle for the spread of theileriosis.

The cattle deaths prompted government, through the Veterinary Services Department, to scale up stakeholder awareness campaigns.

Small-scale farmers and villagers from PBS Village, Ward 18 in Fort Rixon in Matabeleland South Province are among the worst affected after losing hundreds of cattle to theileriosis.

One villager said they were shocked to see livestock dying at an unusual rate. “When we heard of scores of cattle succumbing to the diseases, we got scared as a community. We then realised that the root cause of the spread of the diseases is largely due to the illegal movement of cattle from other regions to our ward mostly at night,” he said.

“Local plot holders are transporting livestock during the night, and we suspected that would not be properly cleared or vaccinated. Several truckloads of cattle periodically come here. We have engaged the Veterinary Services Department and they burnt some of the infected livestock,” he added.

Villagers have pleaded with the police and the Veterinary Services Department to strengthen roadblocks and surveillance in order to reduce or eradicate illegal livestock movement.

Accounting to about 60 percent of cattle deaths in the country, January Disease is responsible for huge economic losses in cattle assets and farm savings in Zimbabwe with government urging farmers to intensify dipping and apply tick grease to their livestock as prevention measures.