17 Oct 2013

Government has come up with ways of ensuring that farmers who were affected by the Foot and Mouth Diseases (FMD) in the Matsiloje Veterinary Extension area (Zone 6), plough in large numbers, the North East District Agriculture Coordinator, Mr Alfred Mashungwa, has said.

Speaking at a press conference aimed at updating the news media on the ongoing restocking exercise, Mr Mashungwa said government provided 11 tractors and would purchase farming implements to rent out to the 166 private tractor owners in the district.

Mr Mashungwa said normally each district was provided with four tractors but due to the foot and mouth, the tractors were increased particularly that some farmers used cattle as draught power. With cattle killed to eradicate foot and mouth disease, the government had to help with draught power.

“Due to the FMD outbreak people could not take advantage of other programmes such as LIMID, so ISPAAD was the only option,” he said. “Therefore government enhanced the existing assistance.” The Deputy Director of Veterinary Services, Dr Kekgonne Baipoledi, said the restocking exercise in Zone 6 needed 25 959 cattle but only 12 357 cattle are available.

Dr Baipoledi, who is also the FMD coordinator, said however that the number of required cattle might decrease as some farmers opted for cash. The other challenge to the restocking exercise was shortage of transport and it led to farmers waiting for their cattle longer than expected.

He said the restocking of small stock started on Wednesday (16/10/2013) in Patayamatebele and a total of 14 700 small stock was needed while the 2 000 was available. He appealed to farmers in other parts of Botswana to continue to sell their cattle and small stock to the government for restocking Zone 6.

He explained that the Ministry of Agriculture was awaiting approval from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) to pronounce the area FMD free.

However, he added, the ministry was convinced that the disease and virus had been eradicated in the area. As a result, disinfection at the exit points from Zone 6 has stopped. Should OIE declare Zone 6 free, he said, cattle from the area would be allowed at export abattoirs. Ends