A Gutu farmer is counting his losses after officers from
the Veterinary Services Department shot dead six beasts that he was taking to
Koala Abbatoir in Harare for slaughter.
Livestock from Gutu are under quarantine because of a foot
and mouth outbreak in the area. The cattle which belonged to Gabriel Munguwe
were intercepted at a roadblock by Chivhu Police.
The cattle were shot and burnt in Chivhu.
Director in the Department of Veterinary Services Josphat
Nyika said Chinguwe moved the cattle outside Gutu without a permit, risking
spread of foot and mouth disease.
The Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture and Rural
Resettlement Davis Marapira said farmers should desist from moving cattle
outside zones that are under quarantine to avoid losses.
"Cattle which are moved without permits from
restricted areas will be destroyed to contain the spread of diseases in green
areas. Farmers should follow all the necessary procedures when moving their
cattle to other areas so that they do not lose their livestock
unnecessarily," said Marapira.
Marapira added that the continued unauthorised movement of
cattle from infested zones to disease-free areas was hindering the country's
beef export process as it increased mortality rate of the cattle.
In June this year, the Chivhu veterinary department
destroyed 12 cattle that belonged to a local farmer after they were diagnosed
with foot and mouth disease during a routine inspection.
The cattle had contracted foot and mouth disease from two
cattle which the farmer, Jesmael Chimiso, had illegally moved from Gutu to his
Bvumbura Farm in Chivhu. masvingo mirror
0 comments:
Post a Comment