Gvt urged to partner private sector to eradicate tick- borne diseases

Bulawayo (New Ziana)-The government should partner the private sector to effectively fight and eradicate tick borne diseases which are threatening to decimate the national herd.

Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development deputy Minister David Marapira made the call when he toured Shumba Group and Coopers Zimbabwe EcoMed manufacturing factory in Belmont where the company is manufacturing acaricides and other livestock health products.

Zimbabwe is facing challenges of tickborne diseases with statistics from the Veterinary Services Department showing that over 500 000 cattle have so far succumbed to tick borne diseases since 2016.

The government has since put in place measures to protect the national herd from tick-borne diseases through constructing and renovating dip tanks as well as manufacturing vaccines.

“My visit to Coopers has reflected that it is easy to do away with the tick-borne diseases if Government works together with competent private companies,” he said.

He said starting this year, officials from his Ministry would be visiting factories and plants like Coopers to ensure that the government vision of attaining a middle-income economy by 2030 was achieved through production.

Marapira acknowledged that the national herd had depleted in the past four years due to tick borne diseases.

He said the government had come up with various measures to eradicate January Disease, which was posing a threat to cattle in the country.

During the wet season, animals are susceptible to tick borne diseases with theileriosis (commonly known as January Disease as it is rife between December and March).

“We came up with serious measures towards eradication of January Disease and everyone is working flat out to ensure we do away with brown ticks,” he said.

Marapira assured the nation that the country had adequate stocks of dipping chemicals which would last for the next three to five months.

New Ziana