Zimpapers Logo

Agriculture Reporter

THE Department of Veterinary Service (DVS) has promised sterner action on errant citizens who keep on moving livestock illegally from Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) red zones without clearance, as efforts to contain the spread of the disease to green zones intensify.

DVS chief director Dr Josphat Nyika revealed this in an interview recently saying the move would help reduce livestock mortalities throughout the country.

FMD is a viral disease characterised by blisters and vesicles in the mouth and inter-digital space. These will in turn rapture to form wounds in the mouth and feet respectively, hence the name foot and mouth disease. It affects cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, goats, sheep, pigs and antelopes.

“We are getting tough on errant farmers. Those who will be found transporting animals from red zones will risk huge losses. As a department, we are authorised to kill, bury and burn livestock, which is moved without permit. This is one way to prevent rampant spread of deadly FMD.

“We want to prevent the spread of livestock diseases especially during summer seasons when cattle diseases spread fast,” explained Dr Nyika.

Recently, many people were caught transporting livestock from red zones against the animal health act, heightening the risks of bringing diseases into green zones. Dr Nyika said cases in which animals were moved illegally from FMD red zones were destroyed, triggering huge losses for farmers.

“Recently, 81 goats incepted in Chegutu on their way from high risk foot and mouth areas under Gokwe-Chireya were slaughtered and destroyed,” he said.

The goats that were slaughtered and burnt in the presence of police were equivalent to around US$3 000, that is a huge loss. The department also killed and burnt a herd of cattle intercepted from a red zone in Hurungwe district. The 14 beasts were being transported from Hurungwe district to Mashonaland East before their interception in Chinhoyi.

In March, the DVS put down 12 head of cattle at Arda Sanyati after the animals were illegally moved from a foot and mouth disease red zone.

The destruction is meant to curb the spread of the FMD and the department is authorised to kill, burn and bury livestock, which is moved without permits especially from red zones.