Vet dept tackles January disease crisis

TATENDA CHIKARA IN MASVINGO

The Department of Veterinary Services has introduced a new dipping system called 5.5.4 in Chivi district, Masvingo Province as it moves to tackle the January disease which has claimed livestock in the province, Business Times can report.

Villagers in wards 11 and 12 ,who use Nyaningwe dip tank, embraced the new system meant to deal with tick-borne disease.

“We welcome the good news  that we are going to adopt a new system of dipping our cattle. Surely many cattle died of January disease so this move I think will help.

“This 5.5.4 system means that we will dip our cattle after every five days, then after four days like that,” a  villager in ward 11 villager told Business Times.

Another villager in ward 12,  Chengeto Moyo, told Business Times that he also viewed the move as helpful.

“It is great to hear that we are going to dip our cattle after every four days. Here in Chivi we already lost cattle because of the January Disease. So, I think this system will help save  our cattle,” said Moyo.

Nyaningwe dip tank attendant  Jeffrey Maheve told Business Times that the Veterinary department saw it best to introduce this system of  dipping as it was going to curb this disease caused by ticks.

“The veterinary department introduced the 5.5.4 system because cattle were continuing to die. This may help deal with the crisis,” Maheve said.

Meanwhile, Chivi villagers have bemoaned delays by the government to distribute inputs.

They said the government should  assist them with inputs such as seeds and fertilisers early to enable them to prepare for the 2021/22 farming season.

“The rainy season has begun, we have started digging in our farms, we wish that the government would assist us with inputs now so that we will not be affected ,” Luckson Shoko, a villager at Virira village, told Business Times.