22 Nov 2022

Ngamiland District has not experienced any suspicious case of Foot and Mouth Disease, according to Maun Administrative Authority (MAA Chairperson, Mr Vepaune Moreti.

Speaking at MAA Sub-council meeting in Maun, Mr Moreti said that the district had embarked on an FMD campaign for the district from October 6 to November 11 and no cases were recorded. Mr Moreti said the last outbreak was recorded in 2018.

He also informed the sub-council that the cattle measles rate had dropped from six per cent to four per cent with 344 cattle from the 9 342 slaughtered found to have the virus, against the national target of less than two per cent.

“Though this seems like a significant drop, there are still some hotspots; Makalamabedi, Chanoga, Maun, Shorobe, Kareng and Toteng, with the highest being Makalamabedi area with a prevalence rate of over 15 percent.

Mr Moreti requested councillors to assist in publicising the need for farmers to provide good sanitary facilities at their farms and cattle posts to fight the spread of measles.

The chairperson reported that the district had registered cases of Quarter Evil (Serotswana) in five crushes at Bodibeng and four at Tsau extension areas, which were immediately quashed through vaccination and the disease was now under control with no mortality recorded ever since.

He said the revised Artificial Insemination (AI) had started this breeding season as camps had received cattle, with Makalamabedi (Ngamiland) receiving 38 cows from 12 farmers against a target of 250 and Makalamabedi (Boteti), 173 cows from 63 farmers against a target of 500.

He said Ngamiland farmers had a challenge of livestock movement protocols to take their cattle to the camp as it was located in the Central District.

Mr Moreti said it appeared that this year, the camp would receive fewer cows due to transport fees, despite the fact that farmers were willing to participate. 

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