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—Southern Province has received over 3000 doses of foot and mouth vaccines for the second round immunisation of cattle against the disease.
Southern Province Veterinary officer, Charles Maseka, said the immunisation process, which is scheduled to start this week, shall be conducted in the five high risk districts of the province.
Speaking in an interview with Journalists in Choma today, Dr Maseka said foot and mouth disease is rampant in districts and areas where buffaloes that transmit the disease to cattle are found such as the Kafue flats.
“The received doses will be distributed according to the population of cattle in each of the high risk districts. Mazabuka will receive 51,000, Monze, 70,000, Zimba 15,000, Kazungula, 80,000 and Namwala will receive 140,000” he said.
Dr Maseka said government attaches great importance to cattle production hence the continued immunisation of cattle against foot and mouth disease which, if left uncontrolled, would affect cattle production in the province.
He also disclosed that the province has set a target of immunizing over 53000 calves against East Cost Fever (ECF) corridor disease.
He said the immunisation of cattle is a routine annual programme that is aimed at controlling the spread of the disease.
Dr Maseka, however, appealed to farmers in the province to keep their animals in easy-to-reach areas to make the vaccination process easy for the veterinary officers.
He added that the foot and mouth vaccinations shall be conducted at no cost on the part of the farmers while each calf vaccinated against the corridor disease shall be charged at K15.
Dr Maseka said the government has provided adequate vaccine doses for all the cattle in high risk districts, saying that farmers should only ensure that the animals are available for vaccination.
He said farmers of Choma district should not feel left out on the foot and mouth vaccinations as the district will not receive the service after having been declared free of the disease.
