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Zim, (HERALD) Botswana team up to fight foot and mouth disease

Zim, Botswana team up to fight foot and mouth disease
Tuesday, 26 July 2011 02:00
Agriculture Reporter

Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Joseph Made, yesterday said Zimbabwe and Botswana recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding that would see the two countries jointly fighting foot and mouth disease.

"In the initial agreement, the Botswana government had agreed to give us 20 000 cattle but with the current progress we have made in implementing the project, the number looks set to rise to 50 000," Minister Made said.

He said Zimbabwe had advanced abattoir that were not being used by the CSC.
"This shows the regional integration that as Sadc in times of need, we assist each other and this is one of the best things that has happened to us to get the livestock sector going again," he said.

The cattle deal comes courtesy of the credit lines the Botswana government availed to Zimbabwe to help revive its cattle industry and the rest of the value chain components. Minister Made said the country was also anticipating reviving the canning industry, which had been idle for long.

"This is a clear demonstration of the creation of a regional market. I expect the CSC board of directors to work towards resuscitating the beef industry.
"They must plough back the profits generated from this project into the livestock sector even at the communal level." He said there were calls that some of the cattle being imported from Botswana should be slaughtered at the Masvingo, Marondera and Chinhoyi abattoir too.

"We now have the opportunity to utilise the grand CSC infrastructure that has been lying idle.

He said Botswana's objective was to look at opportunities presented in Sadc, where the countries jointly clean areas of foot and mouth disease to nurture a vibrant beef industry in both countries.

The deal also includes the vaccination of cattle within 40 kilometres on both sides of the border.

"This project has massive benefits to the farmers in Matabeleland South and North who have had their cattle vaccinated. "So far 145 637 cattle from the communal, A1 and small-scale sectors were vaccinated between July 11 and July 18, something that has not happened before," he said.

In some districts there was 100 percent vaccination, which showed farmers supported Government's efforts to eliminate the disease.

Vaccination continues for the next 24 months.

"Our intention is to reach a position in which we have a clean environment for beef production.

"We want to emulate Botswana's example of paddocking certain areas adjacent game parks to prevent unrestricted interaction between livestock and wildlife, suspected vectors of FMD," he added.

Labels: BOTSWANA, CATTLE DISEASE, ZIMBABWE

posted by MrK @ 6:11 PM