Story by Mhlomuli Ncube
THE Government says it has adequate vaccine stocks to combat livestock and crop diseases which are prevalent during the rainfall season.
Rains remain a huge blessing to every farmer while also assuring the nation of food security. However, disease complications usually arise and farmers have suffered a terrible fate on many occasions.
The government says it has put adequate measures to ensure livestock diseases are combated, while also distributing chemicals and equipment for cropping.
“With the coming of the rains in the 2024/2025 agricultural season, farmers and stakeholders of livestock should expect a general increase in diseases across the country. This upsurge in diseases is mainly caused by a corresponding increase of causative agents and factors that lead to diseases like an increase in insects, micro-organisms, viruses and bacteria.
“They also multiply and increase resulting in this upsurge. These diseases include vector borne diseases, tick-borne diseases, and diseases which are caused by viruses and bacteria. When the rains come, cattle and other ruminants tend to rush for that small grass and when they graze they also take up some soils where there are spoors of anthrax and blackleg diseases,” Chief Director in the Directorate of Veterinary Services, Dr Pious Makaya said.
“Let us make use of the vaccines distributed by the government. There is a fall armyworm challenge and the government is giving chemicals so I urge farmers to make use of it. Farmers are also being given knapsack sprays besides the chemicals,” Matabeleland North Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Honourable Richard Moyo.
Tickborne, soil borne and vector borne diseases are the most common during the rainfall season, while the fall armyworm also affects crops.
As the country anticipates a successful agricultural season after being bruised by last year’s El-nino induced drought, authorities are not taking any chances, thus have ensured adequate mitigation measures to protect agricultural output.
