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Bongani Ndlovu, Chronicle Reporter

THE Bulawayo Agricultural Society (BAS) will hold the Pedigree Cattle Show today after a 12-year hiatus during the ongoing Zimbabwe International Trade Fair with 33 cattle set to showcase.

The last time that the Pedigree Cattle Show was held was in 2012 and had been put on hold due to various challenges chief among them Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreaks around Zimbabwe.

The Pedigree Cattle show will have animals from Camen Brahmans (6), Hlango Ranch – Brahman (5), Sifela Brahmans (4), Biano Farm – Simmental (6), Nala Brahman (4) and Khami Prison (3).

Mr John Crawford will judge.

BAS administrative officer Mrs Natalie Adlam said it was exciting to have the cattle show after so many years and challenges.

“We are having a Pedigree Cattle Show for the first time in 12 years where the animals will be judged. The judge will be John Crawford from Chinhoyi as from 9AM,” she said.

“We have a total of 33 head entered but not all of them have arrived due to the problems we are experiencing with foot and mouth,” said Mrs Adlam.

She said the FMD outbreaks were caused by the illegal movement of cattle.

“It’s a big challenge, we would have had many more entries this year if it wasn’t for the fact that we had outbreaks in Figtree, Marula, Nyamandlovu and Esigodini.

“It’s quite difficult; people tend to move their cattle illegally so it doesn’t help the veterinary department to try and contain it. So, when it breaks out it’s a big problem,” said Mrs Adlam.

“Generally, the pedigree cattle are exempt because they tend to keep their cattle very well maintained and looked after, they don’t leave their fences lying down and don’t let stray animals come through. That’s why they have been allowed to be bled and be tested for FMD.”

Mrs Adlam added that in the farm produce there has been double increase of entries from last year, as 1 653 entries were recorded in this edition.

She said this year as BAS, they upgraded the prize list to include Value Addition whereby products of crops grown were shown and judged.

Last month, the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) slaughtered and burnt 12 cattle at Arda Sanyati after the animals were illegally moved from a FMD red zone area.

The destruction was meant to curb the spread of the FMD and the department was authorised to bury or burn the livestock, which was moved without a permit. Owners of the cattle did not receive any compensation.

Zimbabwe is in the process of setting up a Foot and Mouth Disease vaccine manufacturing laboratory, a move that will see the country saving millions of United States dollars in reduced imports.

About $350 million is required to set up the laboratory. The biosafety level 3 laboratory will be set up at the Scientific and Industrial Research and Development Centre (SIRDC) in Hatcliffe.