Magoye MP calls for lifting of ban on livestock movement
By Henry Chibulu in Mazabuka
Sunday July 13, 2008 [04:00]
MAGOYE member of parliament Ben Mweemba has called on the government to immediately lift the ban imposed on the movement of livestock and livestock products from Mazabuka. The veterinary department imposed a ban on the movement of livestock in Mazabuka three months ago following an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in chiefs Hanjalika and Mwanachingwala’s areas.
Mweemba said yesterday that the ban did not serve its purpose because cattle traders were allegedly violating it by transporting carcasses to Lusaka using trucks without the veterinary department taking necessary steps.
He said the traders were passing through the Kafue bridge security checkpoint without problems, despite police officers being fully aware of the ban.
Mweemba said the government should investigate why security officers were working with unscrupulous livestock traders to transport meat illegally into Lusaka.
He also said failure by the government to provide the veterinary office in the district with necessary logistics to mount roadblocks to stop the illegal movement of livestock and its products by unscrupulous traders had made it difficult to contain the deadly animal disease.
Mweemba disclosed that farmers in his constituency were now selling cattle at giveaway prices because of the immense suffering brought about by the ban.
Mweemba said animals that were previously sold at K1.2 million were now pegged at K400,000.
And cattle traders at BATA Cooperative in Mazabuka have opened the abbatoir and have started slaughtering animals.
This follows the expiry of the 24-hour ultimatum given to the veterinary department to lift the suspension.
Nansenga ward councillor, Jonathan Mufaya yesterday said cattle traders resolved to take the law into their hands if the government did not lift the suspension on the movement of cattle.
But Mazabuka District commissioner, Tyson Hamaamba cautioned the cattle traders from breaking with law with impunity.
Meanwhile, the veterinary department has continued the vaccination of cattle against FMD in chiefs Hanjalika and Mwanachingwala’s areas.
A check by ZANIS at the Mazabuka veterinary office found officers preparing to go in the field on their motorbikes laden with boxes of FMD vaccines.
Labels: CATTLE DISEASE
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Save our livestock sector
By Editor
Thursday May 22, 2008 [04:00]
It seems our livestock sector is not going to be free from diseases soon. Animal diseases that had disappeared are re-appearing in addition to new ones. We say this because the outbreaks of these diseases, which seem perennial, are not being contained effectively. Our livestock sector is being crippled by animal diseases. The Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) broke out in Western Province in August last year and spread to Southern Province in February this year.
Apart from awareness campaigns to sensitise the general public and farmers, the government slapped a ban on the movement of livestock from Namwala, Monze, Mazabuka and Choma.
However, the ban has been relaxed though it is still effective in Mazabuka and Namwala because of the FMD as well as Kazungula, which has Contagious Bovine Pleuro-Pneumonia (CBPP).
This relaxed ban only applies to the movement of animals within the areas that are free of the FMD for slaughter and rearing after meeting all disease control requirements.
Carcasses of livestock, not live animals, are now allowed to be transported from the free areas to Lusaka and Copperbelt provinces. There are also conditions under which raw milk, skin and hides are supposed to be transported in a bid to contain the livestock disease.
There have been reports that the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives is procuring vaccines to combat these diseases but the vaccines are yet to arrive in the country.
It is very clear that fire-fighting techniques in managing these diseases are not working and we need to change our approach. Looking at the magnitude of animal diseases in the country and their impact on the farmers who depend on livestock for survival, this type of inertia is not only regrettable but crippling.
The government, together with stakeholders, should have by now come up with solutions to this problem, whose end does not seem in sight.
Yes, the responsibility of curbing these diseases should be collective and it is good that the Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) has been helping to sensitise its members over the need to adhere to measures that are aimed at controlling and preventing the outbreak of animal diseases.
There are many countries from which Zambia can draw some valuable lessons. We can learn a lot from countries like Britain which have dealt with animal diseases successfully before.
When FMD broke out in Britain over two years ago, the response was effective and in no time, the disease was contained. Yes, Britain is developed and has the resources and manpower to tackle such problems but Zambia can look at how quick the response was and how involved the authorities were in addressing the problem.
Over the years, there have been concerns over the meagre resources allocated in the budget to the agriculture sector, let alone the livestock sector specifically, which seem to fall on deaf ears.
In 2006, the government allocated K5 billion to the livestock sector while in 2007 - after so many cries - the amount was increased to K47 billion. Strange enough this year, with widespread livestock diseases, the budgetary allocation has been reduced to K38 billion.
We think there is need for consistency in funding levels to ensure that the Veterinary Department is properly equipped to contain the outbreak of livestock diseases in the country.
The problem is further compounded by the late procurement of vaccines and drugs, which just boils down to inefficiency and poor planning since we know that these outbreaks are perennial.
Further, it seems the outbreak of animal diseases dictate our response. By now, we need to be asking ourselves why the current disease control strategies are not working? We need to know whether we are doing enough and whether our vaccination campaigns and livestock movement restrictions have had an impact on the ground.
For instance, in the case of CBPP, we need to know what the current situation is and what the future is since the disease has been spreading out of its traditional areas of Western into Southern and North Western provinces. We cannot continue deploying the same strategy for years if it is not working.
The control on the movement of animals has not worked very well and that is why we are not surprised that Southern Province minister Daniel Munkombwe is expressing concern over farmers that are moving animals from Mazabuka into Mumbwa through the Kafue River or from Kazungula to Monze in an effort to find market.
Much as he is attributing this to lack of information on animal diseases, it is clear that this control measure has failed us as a country.
In neighbouring Botswana, livestock disease control strategies are a general knowledge of every traveller and disease control and screening points are applied to all parts of the country whether there is an outbreak or not.
But in Zambia, the outbreaks determine our application of livestock movement screening and control points. Quite often, these points are set up after so much noise from area members of parliament, the public and the media.
If the country lacks resources, deliberate measures can be taken to zone areas, which have persistent outbreaks and veterinary officers can carry out routine tests and surveillance to help identify potential outbreaks before the actual outbreak occurs.
There is need for the government to take deliberate steps in addressing the problem in the livestock sector. This is an important sector, which we cannot afford to ignore.
Efforts should be made to set up a livestock back-up vaccine production plant to reduce overdependence on imported untested vaccines that have not helped us in any way. Take for instance the vaccine for CBPP.
According to veterinary experts, the CBPP vaccine that Zambia is using is based on a 60-year-old vaccine that is poorly protective and can cause severe adverse reactions.
The same vaccine has residual virulence, making it a possible source of re-infection if not properly handled. With such a background, it is difficult to see any progress in combating the disease.
On the economic front, animal diseases have affected the country in terms of exports, as Zambia cannot access European markets for beef as a result of trans-boundary animal diseases.
The export rules for beef products seeking entry onto European markets entails the declaration of a country as a disease-free zone.
With the current situation in Zambia's livestock sector where a number of areas have been attacked by animal diseases, the country cannot export any of its beef to the EU until the diseases are controlled.
The effect on the farmers is equally devastating because they rely on their animals to fend for their families. The effect this year will be worse as most farmers in areas such as Namwala lost their crops due to floods and one wonders what else they will do since their animals are also affected.
If we are going to talk about meaningful poverty reduction strategies and economic growth that trickles down to the poor, these are some of the areas we need to look at.
However, it is encouraging that members of parliament are taking time to visit other countries such as Botswana to draw lessons. But it will be an exercise in futility if those lessons are not put into practice.
A lot has been said on the need to pay attention to the livestock sector, on the need to increase funding to the veterinary department as well as the need to provide incentives to agriculture extension officers to help improve service delivery.
There have also been calls to increase investment in the building of infrastructure for programmes such as compulsory dipping of all animals.
However, the onus is on the government and the stakeholders to find new ways of saving our beleaguered livestock sector.
Labels: CATTLE, CATTLE DISEASE
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MP bemoans lack of livestock vaccines
By Mutale Kapekele
Thursday May 22, 2008 [04:00]
Lack of vaccines has partly made the fight against livestock diseases difficult in the country, parliamentary committee on agriculture and lands chairperson Request Muntanga has said. During a courtesy call on Southern Province minister Daniel Munkombwe on Tuesday, Muntanga said most districts in the province did not have vaccines for all animal diseases and that this made the fight difficult.
Muntanga also said there was need to change the mindset of workers to effectively fight cattle diseases in the area.
He said the tour of Southern Province by his committee revealed that Ministry of Agriculture workers were more interested in allowances than fighting animal diseases.
"In Mazabuka, where foot and mouth disease has been reported, we found that all the K113 million allocated to fight cattle disease in the district, K69 million went to officers' allowances while the rest went to vehicle maintenance," Muntanga said.
"And there is no mention of purchasing vaccines in that money. Now how do we fight livestock diseases if we have to pay officers subsistence allowances in their own districts?"
Muntanga said the parliamentary committee would also travel to Botswana to learn from that country how to fight livestock diseases.
"We are going to visit Kasane, Francis Town, Gaborone and Lobatse in Botswana tomorrow Wednesday to learn how our brothers there have managed to fight livestock diseases," Muntanga disclosed. "We will also meet with officials from the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) and see how we can cooperate with them."
And Munkombwe said lack of information in fighting livestock diseases had made farmers dishonest.
Munkombwe said ordinary farmers did not understand the seriousness of livestock diseases and 'sneaked' livestock into other towns.
"Our farmers have become dishonest because they don't understand the diseases affecting our animals and some of them secretly sneak cattle from Mazabuka into Mumbwa through the Kafue River or from Kazungula to Monze in an effort to find market for them," said Munkombwe.
"We need to teach our farmers to appreciate that what they are doing could spread livestock diseases to other towns."
Labels: CATTLE, CATTLE DISEASE
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Maize going to waste in Chisamba
By Concerned citizen
Thursday March 20, 2008 [03:00]
I wish to inform you that FRA Chisamba depot managed by Chibombo Cooperative Union has too many bags of Maize going to waste or rotting due to mismanagement by the union through negligence and lack of expert manpower to manage the maize. The maize is currently kept on the slab on the Western side of the offices; more maize is likely to go to waste because they are using plastics to cover it instead of the canvas type.
Please investigate why we are exporting maize when we are likely to record a deficit due to floods. There are more than 30 trucks waiting to load the maize and deliver to Zimbabwe; you cannot help your neighbour’s children when your own are suffering.
You The Post have been a voice of the voiceless for a long time now.
May the good Lord guide and protect you in all your future endeavours. I am proud of you please expose this scandal.
Maize going to waste in Chisamba
Editor,
I wish to inform you that FRA Chisamba depot managed by Chibombo Cooperative Union has too many bags of Maize going to waste or rotting due to mismanagement by the union through negligence and lack of expert manpower to manage the maize.
The maize is currently kept on the slab on the Western side of the offices; more maize is likely to go to waste because they are using plastics to cover it instead of the canvas type.
Please investigate why we are exporting maize when we are likely to record a deficit due to floods. There are more than 30 trucks waiting to load the maize and deliver to Zimbabwe; you cannot help your neighbour’s children when your own are suffering.
You The Post have been a voice of the voiceless for a long time now.
May the good Lord guide and protect you in all your future endeavours. I am proud of you please expose this scandal.
http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=39316
Teta, Hikaumba's remarks
By Sunday Chanda
Thursday March 20, 2008 [03:00]
It must be very gratifying for the Patriotic Front when MMD spokesperson Ben Tetamashimba acknowledges indirectly that the PF is the strongest party in the country, hence the calling on other parties to team up and dislodge the PF.
I have never heard of a ruling party teaming up with opposition parties to defeat an opposition party. Indeed, Sata must have something to smile about.
Again, the remarks by Tetamashimba that they will consider fielding the expelled PF MPs in any forthcoming by-election speaks volumes about the nature, state and capacity of the MMD as a political structure and indeed their levels of desperation. It is this desperation that has killed the MMD.
The desperate manoeuvres by the MMD to get other political parties into some electoral pact so as to deal with the PF is not attainable and only briefcase parties would yield to this call.
Any serious political party will have the line of authority clearly spelt out as we have seen with structures such as the ANC in South Africa, PF in Zambia and many other examples.
There is no way that a political party can exist without a vice-president and that is why many of us contend that the present succession confusion in the MMD is President Mwanawasa’s own making.
The MMD is nothing without President Mwanawasa at State House and this is the truth they do not want to face. The MMD, out of office, would be worse than UNIP and this hard truth will confront them in any by-election the nation may have between now and 2011. The tripartite election of 2011 will be the final nail into the coffin of this political party.
ZCTU president Leonard Hikaumba's analysis of the expulsions is simplistic and lacks noble judgment as he does not see anything wrong with the government wasting money on the NCC because he is a beneficiary.
It is surprising that the expulsion of the PF MPs has opened Hikaumba's eyes to realise that the roads in this country were in a desperate condition and needed attention. It is no wonder the labour movement in this country is at its weakest point because mediocre leadership has ascended to the helm of it. This level of compromise by Hikaumba has betrayed the aspirations of the workers in this country as they continue to wallow in poverty and their leader is getting allowances at the NCC.
By-elections will always be a consequence in any democracy and people such as Hikaumba must be well alive to that effect. The argument that by-elections are unnecessary since they consume a lot of our resources as a nation is neither here nor there since political parties are expected to ensure that the line of duty is not frustrated by its members and those who do must be disciplined.
It is also important that MPs understand that it is wrong to misrepresent the people and that the sponsoring party must be respected at all times. Even when you talk about dialogue, which dialogue is Hikaumba referring to? Political parties, like any other organisation should not just dialogue for the sake of the word but must reach a point where they agree to disagree – it’s also called democracy because much as individual members have rights, the party as an institution equally has rights.
In Bemba they say umuchinshi wanseba, kwimina pamo (referring to the fact that birds will always flock together and their respect and beauty lies in that pattern). The expulsions are a good lesson for those affected and their imminent loss in the subsequent by-elections will even be a greater lesson.
Zambians deserve MPs who will represent them wholeheartedly and not those who think they are much wiser than the collective wisdom of the electorate. As a matter of principle, these MPs changing political camps like shirts, also known as political 'crosstitutes', must be taught that it is wrong to take the people for granted. Consistency is the key and one cannot be a hyena today and a lion tomorrow.
There must be a change of attitude among our politicians, who will support a particular party during the general election and the moment their party president does not get to Plot One, their allegiance shifts to the government in power. Some of the expelled MPs are reported to have insulted MMD and President Mwanawasa during the last elections and now that it is convenient for them, they would want to use the MMD! Does this also mean that the MMD lacks credible members to field as candidates for them to go for those rejected by an opposition party?
The tide must change now and this starts when the electorate understand that they have the power to hire and fire, hence the need for them to vote in huge numbers. The desperate move by the MMD to field these expelled MPs is a welcome development and it is obvious that there is nothing to write home about regarding these individuals. Their performance will be far much worse than Chimumbwa’s in Chingola because they have stood on the wrong side of the people.
Once again, farewell to the expelled MPs of the PF! We await your attempts to defend the seats on MMD’s ticket. Congratulations to the PF for setting a good precedent in ensuring that comrades deployed to serve the people do not get away with compromise.
The Bembas say umulembwe wacipuba upwila muli tumfwe (literally meaning that a fool will finish all his okra just by tasting). It’s a lesson to some of these colleagues and comrades who will finish their political careers in a hurried and disrespectful manner because they are politically constipated!
http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=39329
Use of cold chains
By J. Muloboi
Thursday March 20, 2008 [03:00]
Please allow me to comment on HH's outburst on the use of cold chains in livestock movement as appeared in the Monday March 17, 2008 edition of The Post newspaper. In case he has just woken up from slumber, cold chains in livestock movement are what has been used by the government for a long time now in fighting livestock diseases in the country.
For instance, live animals have not been allowed to be transported from Western Province. Currently, the same is happening in Southern Province. In exceptional cases, live animals are only allowed to move under veterinary escort and in a convoy for animals going straight for slaughter.
Eastern Province's disease situation has been complicated by an endemic disease of East Coast Fever and Swine Fever still being tackled by the Veterinary Department.
Lastly, Hichilema stabs himself by saying that the MMD is flat and can’t think about encouraging ranching in the country for purposes of exporting beef products. Doesn't he know that his MPs are contemplating demarcating and sharing some existing productive ranches like Batoka to themselves? Certainly he doesn't seem to know since his administration is mainly influenced by the majority type of people who surround him - his relatives. Therefore, if MMD is flat on this issue, then HH flatters the nation.
Labels: BENNY TETAMASHIMBA, CATTLE DISEASE, LEONARD HIKAUMBA, MAIZE
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HH urges use of cold chains in livestock movement
By Mutale Kapekele
Monday March 17, 2008 [03:00]
UPND president Hakainde Hichilema has said cold chains should be introduced to livestock movement across districts. In an interview yesterday, Hichilema said cold chains were the answer to fighting livestock diseases in the country and that there was need for improved livestock diseases.
“There is a big problem of disease control in the country and the re-introduction of cold storage or refrigerated cold chain is the surest way of preventing livestock diseases spreading from district to district,” he said.
He said the country had potential to generate funds from livestock if cold storages were re-introduced.
“We have pasture in Luapula and some parts of Eastern Province lying idle. These places could be used for ranching and beef products can be exported to Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo who are currently importing beef from Brazil and Argentina.
The MMD is flat and can’t think about that,” said Hichilema.
Last year the government enforced a ban on livestock movement following the outbreak of the CBPP in Southern and Western Provinces. Currently there is a livestock movement ban in parts of Southern Province following the recent outbreak of foot and mouth disease.
Labels: CATTLE, CATTLE DISEASE, HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, UPND
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Magande calls for harmony
By REBECCA CHILESHE
MINISTER of Finance and National Planning, Ng’andu Magande, has urged mining companies to work in harmony with Government to bring sustainable economic development to Zambia. Mr Magande said in Parliament on Thursday that Government was committed to an environment where investor protection was guaranteed. He said Government took into consideration the interests of the mining companies before revising the mining tax regime. Mr Magande was winding up policy debate on the national budget for this year.
“After more than 100 years of copper mining and over 16 million tonnes of copper exported from this country, Zambians who are the owners of the copper, have been left poor.
“The mining companies must accept the new tax regime and agree to work in harmony with Government because they will still remain viable and profitable, even after the new taxes have been effected,” he said.
Mr Magande said President Mwanawasa’s new deal administration would continue to focus on building an economy based on public private partnership to protect private investment.
He said it should be appreciated that once effected the new tax regime would bring economic empowerment to the people of Zambia and improve service provision.
Mr Magande urged members of Parliament to support legislation he would be presenting to the House.
He said Government would remain prudent in the way it managed funds from the treasury and that no funds would be used without Parliament’s approval.
Mr Magande said his ministry was now able to get data on bank accounts of other ministries and was able to know how much of the requested funds had been utilised.
He said to avoid a repetition of last year when over K900 billion remained unutilised, money would this year be released upon request from a respective government institution.
On the request from Monze MP, Jack Mwiimbu (UPND), for Government to declare the current floods a national disaster in order to attract donor funding, Mr Magande said the floods were under control.
He said even if the floods were declared a national disaster, donors would not release additional funds to Zambia, as they would merely divert some of the funds that have already been allocated.
Mr Magande criticised the Department of Veterinary Services under the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives for alleged failure to deal with various livestock diseases in the country.
He said Zambia has failed to establish herself as a producer of beef because of livestock diseases despite having good cattle breeds.
Labels: CATTLE, CATTLE DISEASE, MAGANDE, WINDFALL TAX
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Sinyinda urges govt to tackle fish, cattle diseases
By Inonge Noyoo
Wednesday September 12, 2007 [04:00]
MMD Senanga member of parliament Clement Sinyinda has urged the government to launch an appeal for international assistance to tackle the fish and cattle diseases in Western Province. In an interview, Sinyinda said the whole Western Province should be declared a national disaster as the main source of livelihood was becoming extinct.
He said if the government could not solve the disease problem in the country they should seek international intervention.
“Western Province needs to be declared a national disaster. The fish disease cannot be contained by any authorities not even government and our only hope is the international community,” he said.
“The province has been struggling with CBPP and nothing tangible has been done to resolve the problem. Many people are still losing their cattle to this disease.”
Sinyinda said the effects of the fish and cattle disease may not be seen now but the government needed to realise that there would be long-term effects.
Sinyinda said the poverty levels were also propelled by the fact that many parts of Western Province such as Lukulu, Kalabo, Senanga and Kaoma had been hit by floods and were still recovering. He said the poverty levels in the province were likely to get higher as many people in Western Province were surviving on fishing and cattle herding.
He said the bad road network in the province was also contributing to the underdevelopment and urged government to urgently rehabilitate the Mongu-Senanaga road. He said the road was in a deplorable state and was almost impassable.
Labels: CATTLE DISEASE, WESTERN PROVINCE
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A stitch in time saves nine
By Editor
Sunday August 12, 2007 [07:00]
It appears that the burden of cattle diseases is still on our shoulders and it is a challenge we will have to battle with for some time. What is very sad is that while it can no longer be doubted that the burden of animal diseases is piling up every passing day, we seem to be lost in terms of what ought to be done to redress the situation.
We are saying this because we know that over the last few years, different types of livestock diseases - especially those affecting cattle - have been breaking out and in most cases the authorities have only woken up when the diseases have already had a considerable effect.
From our own observations, it would appear that the approach being taken is mainly that of attempting to deal with these diseases as and when they break out. In terms of dealing with this problem, we have seen that in most cases animals are only vaccinated in the middle of an outbreak, when some animals are already infected and many others already dead. We have seen this on corridor disease, and a couple of years ago on foot-and-mouth disease where the government only intervened way after the disease had spread to several parts of the country, forcing a limitation of animal movements.
Looking at the magnitude of animal diseases in the country, this type of inertia is not only highly regrettable, but very strange too. We expect that the government, including other stakeholders, should have by now come up with effective ways of preventing or controlling animal diseases. We think that the government, together with other stakeholders such as the Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) as well as livestock owners or producers, should put their efforts together and help to safeguard the health of livestock in the country.
We are aware that the responsibility of tackling animal diseases should be a shared one. And it is precisely for this very reason that we acknowledge the efforts that the farmers' union, as stated by ZNFU president Guy Robinson, is doing to sensitise its members over the need to adhere to measures that will help control or prevent animal disease outbreaks. However, we think that the government should by and large shoulder most of the responsibility insofar as animal disease control measures or policies are concerned. If anything, our government has a lot of learning to do from the experience of other countries, especially the United Kingdom which recently had reported cases of foot and mouth disease.
Granted, the socio-economy of Britain is different from that of our country and it would be improper and unfair to judge our own systems based on the United Kingdom's model. But it is worth pointing out that the amazing speed and level of involvement exhibited by British authorities is something worth emulating.
Not only has Britain contained the outbreak of foot and mouth disease with great speed, but it is also moving far ahead to ensure that areas of possible reccurance are sealed. In terms of government involvement, we saw how Prime Minister Gordon Brown - who was on holiday at the time of the announcement of the outbreak - was forced to call for an emergency meeting just in order to deal with the outbreak. This is the kind of seriousness we think is desirable if we are to start finding solutions to the problem of animal diseases, which have become perennial phenomena.
Given that the outbreak of diseases is something that is clearly unrelenting, we think that it is time the government started formulating and implementing long-term measures to help minimise or indeed eliminate these diseases.
And we should also be aware that whatever efforts are put in place now, outbreaks will keep recurring in future as long as there is no foresight from those involved in the management of livestock diseases. It is for this reason that we feel that by now there should be a plan from the government to ensure that not only are drugs or vaccines procured in sufficient amounts, but also that our scientists are being engaged adequately to help us in finding some long-term solutions to the problems affecting livestock in the country.
We are of course aware that there are some measures by the government to engage in mass vaccination of cattle in high-risk areas as well as restrictions on the movement of cattle around the country. But we think that more stringent measures should be put in place to further guarantee prevention and control of animal diseases. We also expect responsible authorities to be more serious with the enforcement of livestock movement control measures, much as we expect an improved disease surveillance and reporting system from those tasked to do so.
In other words, we expect that our bureaucrats at the Ministry of Agriculture should be concerned with all these issues and advise the government accordingly in terms of exactly what ought to be done in order to move towards a disease-free environment for our livestock. And we urge the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Ben Kapita - who fortunately is a farmer himself - not to rest until as a country we find some long-term solutions to the problem of livestock diseases. We need to start dealing with these problems now because if left to chance, we may one day face what may turn out to be an insurmountable challenge. The English say: "A stitch in time saves nine."
Labels: CATTLE, CATTLE DISEASE, EDITORIAL, GOVERNANCE
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Magoye MP calls for suspension of cattle restocking exercise
By Henry Chibulu and Florence Bupe
Sunday August 12, 2007 [04:38]
MAGOYE member of parliament Ben Mweemba has called for the immediate suspension of the cattle restocking programme. But agriculture minister Ben Kapita said the government had suspended the physical restocking of cattle in order to pave way for measures aimed at eradicating livestock diseases.
And Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) president Guy Robinson has said his organisation was working closely with the government to curb the problem of livestock diseases, which he described as serious.
Mweemba said the government should suspend the programme because its impact had been frustrated by livestock diseases that had continued decimating the cattle population.
Mweemba urged the government to instead channel funds allocated for cattle restocking towards the construction and rehabilitation of dip tanks to save cattle population.
He complained that most farmers who have benefited from the programme had lost their cattle through corridor disease because of their inability to regularly dip their animals due to lack of dipping facilities.
Mweemba said while the cattle restocking programme was well intended to improve the livestock and agriculture sectors, there was urgent need for the government to re-examine the programme and ensure that problems that hinder its impact on the communities are addressed.
But Kapita said the government was currently working on measures to try and eradicate livestock diseases and had suspended physical restocking of animals indefinitely.
“There is no way we can keep restocking animals when they are dying on a daily basis. We have set aside the money needed for the restocking programme but what is not being done is physical restocking,” Kapita said. “We are trying to get to the bottom of the problem and we have taken an immediate step to test animals for diseases as a short term measure and so far we have tested over 5,000 animals.”
Kapita also said the manufacturing of branding machines had already started as a way of making cattle movement restrictions more effective.
“We are already manufacturing branding machines so that we are able to more effectively monitor the movement of animals. We are also working with various stakeholders to sensitise farmers on the importance of observing restrictions effected by government because it is for their benefit,” said Kapita.
Kapita disclosed that the worst hit area was Kazungula where farmers were losing significant numbers of cattle.
And Robinson said ZNFU was working with the government to find a lasting solution to the challenge of livestock diseases.
“We are in constant touch with the Ministry of Agriculture and we have already held several meetings to discuss the situation,” Robinson said. “Last week we were in Southern Province where the situation of CBPP (Contagious Bovine Pleural Pneumonia) is very serious and we met with the farmers and other stakeholders to discuss the problem.”
Robinson said farmers were being educated on how to identify diseased animals, and advised that any mysterious animal deaths should be reported to veterinary offices immediately to prevent the spread of diseases.
He expressed concern that farmers were losing huge incomes through the loss of their animals to disease.
And University of Zambia (UNZA) senior lecturer in the School of Veterinary Studies Dr Michelo Siakalima said restocking animals with local breeds was one sure way of reducing the prevalence of livestock diseases.
“What is promoting the spread of livestock diseases is the practice of bringing in animals from different areas. When the animals are transferred from one environment to another, their immunity to diseases affecting that area is low and they end up dying,” he said.
Dr Siakalima recommended that animals meant for restocking purposes should be acquired from areas with endemic diseases.
He also noted that there was need for increased sensitisation on the livestock disease situation.
Recently, there have been reports of increased livestock disease prevalence in some parts of the country, with the worst affected areas being Western and Southern provinces, which have registered high levels of CBPP.
Labels: CATTLE, CATTLE DISEASE
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