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Elita Chikwati Senior Reporter

The Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement’s Department of Veterinary Services met its second 100-day rapid results initiative programme in Newcastle vaccinations, a key priority area of the livestock industry.

The Second Republic adopted the 100-day cycle programme to increase effectiveness and create operational efficiencies in the implementation of national priority projects.

The programme was aligned with the implementation of the Transitional Stabilisation Programme (2018-2020), which centred on high agricultural productivity, among other goals.

Government is committed to the production of livestock for domestic and export markets and ensuring food and nutrition security.

The  Department of Veterinary Services confirmed that it met its 100-day plan and managed to carry our Newcastle vaccinations in all provinces.

Department of Veterinary Services director Dr Josphat Nyika yesterday said the department delivered its mandate through animal disease control programmes to fight rabies, foot and mouth Disease (FMD) and Newcastle.

He said Newcastle vaccinations helped to improve livelihoods, especially of smallholder farmers.

“Newcastle has devastating effects on livelihoods and nutrition, so that is why we were targeting poultry, especially in communal and smallholder farming areas,” said Dr Nyika.

“We also trained community-based vaccinators to carry out vaccinations under our supervision.

“Newcastle is a disease that is characterised by nervous symptoms and pneumonia in poultry. It can wipe out entire flocks in a very short time, and chickens need to be vaccinated against it.

“The planned target was to produce and disburse 3,5 million doses of Newcastle vaccine and vaccinate two million chickens countrywide.”

The Government report on the implementation of the second 100-day cycle of the Second Republic indicate that the department managed to procure reagents and consumables for Newcastle vaccine production.

“To manage the Newcastle disease outbreak, 5,4 million doses of Newcastle vaccine were produced and packaged, with 2,2 million birds vaccinated in all eight rural provinces,” read the report.

According to the Second Round Crop and Livestock Assessment report for the 2018/2019 season, the   Department of Veterinary Services  carried out a total of 8 062 247 vaccinations against Newcastle disease.

Mashonaland Central recorded the highest vaccinations of 1 505 251, Mashonaland West had 1 211 888, Mashonaland East 1 210 237, Masvingo 1 004 423, Manicaland 999 633, Midlands 893 415, Matabeleland South 706 789 and Matabeleland North 530 611.

The report also indicates that besides Newcastle, the department carried out 1 633 279 vaccinations against FMD, 307 143 vaccinations against rabies and 926 017 against anthrax.