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TellZim Reporter
MASVINGO— The menacing tick-borne
diseases particularly Theileriosis (January Disease) have ushered a huge blow
on cattle farmers in the province where close to a thousand cattle have
succumbed to the disease prompting government’s intervention under the
Presidential Blitz Tick Grease Programme.
Under
this programme, cattle owners at household levels will be receiving free tick
grease from their local Grain Marketing Board (GMB) depots.
Masvingo
Provincial Veterinary officer Dr Ernest Dzimwasha told TellZim News that cattle
owners at household level will each be receiving a kilogram of free trick
grease.
“The
government realized that farmers were losing their cattle at an unprecedented
level hence the need for an intervention.
“Tick-borne
diseases are very deadly especially Theileriosis or January disease which has
dealt a huge blow on our herd here in Masvingo and nation at large.
“The
Presidential Blitz Tick Grease Programme has come at an opportune time and I
urge farmers to take advantage of this programme so as to save their
livestock,” said Dzimwasha.
He said
a total number of 145 993 households will receive the tick grease in the
province.
“The
tick-grease is already at GMB provincial depot and right now we are working on
modalities to make sure that we distribute it to districts so that farmers
would have easy access.
“Each
household will receive 1 kilogram of tick grease and there is enough to cater
for every household with cattle,” said Dzimwasha.
Theileriosis is a disease caused
by a species of Theileria – a blood-borne parasite. It only affects cattle and
is primarily transmitted by ticks.
Once
the animal is bitten, it takes about 6-8 weeks for the parasite to build up the
significant levels in the blood.
