Maravi

Cattle farmers in Mazabuka bemoan animal dipping fee

Cattle farmers in Mazabuka bemoan animal dipping fee
By Henry Chibulu in Mazabuka
Mon 08 Mar. 2010, 06:30 CAT

CATTLE farmers in Munjile ward in chief Hanjalika’s area in Mazabuka are reportedly refusing to dip their animals on grounds that the dipping fee is high.

The dipping fee has been pegged at K4,000.
The farmers also complained of the long distance to the nearest dip tank in Chitongo, about five kilometres from Munjile.

Ward councillor, Enock Hachiwa disclosed this during a pit latrines celebration and open defecation free zone public meeting organised by AFRICARE.

Hachiwa said farmers instead wanted to dip their animals using free facilities from the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries.

Hachiwa told Mazabuka mayor Shadreck Mwiinga and district administrative officer Harriet Kawina who represented district commissioner Tyson Hamaamba that animals had continued to die from livestock diseases because of the farmers’ negative attitude.

He said unless the cattle farmers changed their negative attitude, the cattle population would continue to be threatened in the area.

Hachiwa regretted that all the animals donated by World Vision Zambia and the Catholic Church under the restocking programme had died due to livestock diseases.

But Kawina told the meeting that the government was disappointed that farmers were failing to dip their animals on account that the K4,000 dipping fee were unaffordable.

She said there was need for the local leadership and the veterinary department to sensitise farmers on the need to take cattle farming as a business venture.

Kawina said the dipping of animals was not a responsibility of the government but farmers.
The meeting was also attended by Mazabuka town clerk Ekan Chingangu.

And some pupils in Munjile ward have stopped going to school for fear of being swept away by strong current in some streams that have become flooded due to heavy rains being experienced in the area.

According to a joint statement by 11 village headmen from chief Hanjalika, pupils in the affected areas stopped going to school about two weeks ago because Magoye river, Ngwezi and Kabolongola streams were flooded and posed a threat to people’s lives.

The headmen explained that pupils from Tundwe, Mapondo, Potela, Ngwezi and Kaumuzya settlements could not attend class at Chitongo, Kataba and Munjile basic schools.

They urged the government to come to the children’s rescue by constructing bridges to enable them to attend classes throughout the year.

The headmen also asked the government to prepare relief food for people in the area because of the anticipated poor harvest caused by the partial drought experienced.

The 11 village headmen are Hangoma, Hantuku, Hakasuba, Buumba, Malambo and Tundaile.
Others are Chitanda, Mweemba, Hachaba, Moya and Namausha.

Labels: CATTLE DISEASE, USER FEES

posted by MrK @ 10:34 AM