Farmers urged to dip cattle regularly

Andrew Muvishi Mashonaland Correspondent

FARMERS should regularly dip and dose their cattle to guard against tick-borne diseases, which have been killing many cattle, Mashonaland East provincial veterinary officer Dr Charles Chikasha has said.

Dr Chikasha said cattle must be dipped every week to kill ticks.

“We are urging our farmers to bring all their animals for dipping every week so that we reduce ticks and tick-borne diseases such as heartwater and gall sickness,” he said.

Tick-borne diseases are spread between animals through biting by an infected tick. Heartwater, red water and gall-sickness are easily spread through this way.

Dr Chikasha said it was important to come up with a dipping and dosing programme to avert diseases.

“As has been the norm over the years, communal farmers have to take advantage of a Government programme where it provides heavily subsidised dipping chemicals and ensure they dip their animals at least once a week.

A farmer in Macheke, Mr Tawanda Chenana, has embarked on building dip tanks so that farmers can take their cattle for dipping. He said farmers risk losing cattle to various diseases that arise from not dipping their animals, hence the decision to construct dip tanks in the area.

“It is important for farmers to appreciate the Government’s effort of issuing subsidised dipping chemicals as they go a long way in the fight against ticks and tick-borne diseases,” said Mr Chenana.

A Macheke farmer Mrs Vongai Muchetu said they are grateful for the construction of dip tanks.

“We want to thank our fellow farmers and the Government for the vision to construct dip tanks to reduce cattle deaths due to ticks,” she said.