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GOVERNMENT has banned the movement of pigs, pork and pork products within and out of selected parts of southern province following the recent outbreak of African swine fever in Chief Macha’s area of Choma District.
Southern Province Veterinary officer Charles Maseka says control measures on the movement of pigs, pork, and pork products have been affected to control further spread of African swine fever.
Dr Maseka who was speaking in Choma District, March 1st .
He said the Veterinary Department had identified high risk Zones with regard to African swine fever in the province and put the identified areas under quarantine until further notice.
“The high risk Zones lies between the Choma-Namwala- Simaubi road to the north, and the Livingstone- Lusaka road to the east. And these comprise of the following Veterinary camps, Macha, Mbabala, Mutanga, Sinalungu Kabimba, Dundwa, Mapanza and Simaubi in Choma district”, he said
Dr Maseka said Kalomo and Zimba districts have not been exempted on the ban with the following camps also being labelled high risk Zones, Lungunya, Nkandanzovu, Munyeke, Malende, Chifusa, N0.3, Siachitema, and camps in west of Zimba respectively.
He said the province recorded the recorded cases of African Swine fever in Most parts of Kazungula district thereby putting all veterinary camps in the district under quarantine.
Dr Maseka said the ban on the movement of pigs, pork and pork products only applied in the identified high risk Zone areas citing that the unaffected areas were free to conduct their business.
“ Pigs, and pork products and pork by products from the rest of the province that are low risk Zones will be allowed to move within or out of the province after the farms and pigs have been examined and authorised by the veterinary services Department”, he said
Dr Maseka said pigs, pork, pork products moving out of the province should be accompanied by a valid stock movement permit issued by the department of veterinary services.
He said illegal movement of such nature will lead to destruction of the pigs, pork or pork products without compensation, citing that only pigs slaughtered upon identification of the disease in the local farms will be compensated.
“The department of veterinary services will continue conducting the surveillance of pig farms in the province with more emphasis in the high risk zones. Check points will also continue to be mounted and whoever will be found wanting will be dealt according to the law”, he said.
Dr Maseka however, called on the farmers to cooperate with the veterinary department citing that Government was doing everything possible to control the disease.
He disclosed that Southern province had a population of 143,846 pigs with a trade value of about K71 thousand which was highly significant to the development of the country’s economy.
Dr Maseka however added that government recognized the value of pigs and pork products trade to farmers thereby lifting the ban of movement only in selected parts of the province.
Recently about 32 pigs taken from Macha and Kalomo were slaughtered burnt at the Veterinary department in Choma after testing positive with African swine fever.
