Zimpapers Logo

Four months after its detection in Mwenezi, Masvingo province and its instantaneous spread to Matabeleland South, Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and Midlands, the foot and mouth disease has now been contained.

The disease hit cattle farmers the hardest, as well as abattoirs, auctioneers and retailers as the government imposed restrictions on animal movement and sales in the five provinces, prejudicing the beef value chain of millions in revenue and putting thousands of jobs at risk.

Mbokodo, probably the largest abattoir in Matabeleland region was shut down in April. By June, CC Sales, a dominant cattle auctioneer had reported a loss in business of $600,000 in two months owing to the disease outbreak and the subsequent suspension of cattle movement and trade. The impact on beef producers in Masvingo, Midlands and Matabeleland region, many of them communal farmers, is difficult to quantify but that should be where it is the worst.

“The situation is well under control as the government has implemented measures to contain the outbreak of the disease in other areas of the country, which haven’t been affected,” Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development responsible for Livestock Production, Cde Paddy Zhanda said on Wednesday.

Among the measures is the release of $1,5 million to buy 750,000 doses of FMD vaccines. Cde Zhanda said vaccination of livestock is underway in affected areas while buffer zones have been created to stop the spread of the disease.

Four months is a lifetime in business but beef farmers, traders and processors must be pleased that soon the government will announce the lifting of the suspension of cattle movement and trade for normal business to resume.

FMD is an infectious viral disease whose signs and symptoms include a high fever for two or three days, followed by blisters inside the mouth and on the feet that may rupture and cause lameness.

It can be spread by infected animals through liquid droplets in the air, physical contact with contaminated farming equipment, vehicles, clothing, or feed, and by domestic and wild predators. Its containment demands considerable efforts in vaccination, strict monitoring, trade restrictions, and quarantines, and occasionally the killing of animals.

The importance of cattle in our economy is immense. They sustain the livelihoods of rural farmers who rear and sell them from time to time, often on a subsistence basis. For larger producers in drier, south-western parts of the country, cattle ranching is their business. Many abattoirs, auctioneers and butcheries derive much of their incomes from selling and slaughtering cattle, the most popular relish for most Zimbabweans. It indeed, is a multi-million dollar sub-sector of our agriculture industry.

However, it is regrettable that historically, most outbreaks of cattle diseases occur in the five provinces that account for up to three quarters of the national herd of 5,4 million animals. Masvingo has about 1,4 million head of cattle, the country’s largest herd by province. Midlands is second with over 720,000 while Manicaland with nearly 690,000 is third. Matabeleland South and Matabeleland North provinces are fourth and fifth respectively with an estimated 616,000 and 586,000 head of cattle.

The news that the most recent outbreak has been curbed will excite the market, but we are unhappy that the excitement is unlikely to be long with the frequent occurrences of FMD and other cattle diseases in the country. If proactive measures are put in place all the time, we would not be having such a high frequency of FMD cases. To be always in a reactive mode when we can and should anticipate outbreaks, is costly.

The prevailing economic challenges have affected national preparedness and response to emergencies but for a key industry like beef production we urge the government to try to ensure that we are always on top of the situation.

Farmers and government veterinary officers at the thousands of dip-tanks across the country have to enhance their vigilance for infections to be promptly identified. We have to say, however, that from our experience there is no big problem in that area as our farmers regard their cattle very highly for their commercial and social value. They tend to be close to their cattle as to their children, by and large, so any sign of disease is often quickly detected.

On government presence on the ground, there is no problem as well as the Veterinary Services Department is sufficiently decentralised down to ward, even dip-tank level. Therefore the surveillance system is generally good.

But the challenge has, in recent years, been on the poor response when a disease is detected. This is where a lot of strengthening is required, urgently, to avoid long hiatuses as the four-month one we are just emerging from.

It is noteworthy that Cde Zhanda declared that the outbreak was under control on Wednesday; two days after the Department of Veterinary Services in Masvingo had reported that the challenge was worsening in Mwenezi and Chiredzi districts where about 20 new cases were being recorded weekly. We quoted Masvingo North MP Cde Davison Marapira who is also Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Deputy Minister responsible for crops saying some among his 300-strong herd of cattle were affected. He added that “the problem is spreading in all districts.” Apart from him, Masvingo Beef Farmers’ Association chairperson Robert Makado told of a widening problem.

We believe Cde Zhanda is properly briefed about the situation on the ground.