Hundreds of cattle die in Shurugwi as government fails to provide dipping chemicals
SHURUGWI – Hundreds of cattle in Shurugwi are dying from January disease as Government fails to provide dipping chemicals even after collecting cattle tax for 12 months from villagers.
Villagers told Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Davis Marapira that their cattle have now gone for four weeks without dipping and many have died from January disease (theileriosis) which wiped out more than half a million cattle in the country since 2016.
A repeat of the year 2023 when families were left with nothing after all their cattle were wiped out now stares Shurugwi and many parts of the country in the face.
Munetsi Ngere who is Chief Nhema expressed his frustration with inconsistent dipping.
“The issue of dipping is very serious especially during this time when there is January disease which previously left farmers without cattle. We hardly have dip and we can go for three weeks without the chemicals. If the US$2 is not enough, Government must hike the tax. Areas like Hwinya and Mandigo have no dip tanks after they were vandalised during the Second Chimurenga and Government never rehabilitated them again,” said Chief Nhema.
The villagers made the complaints when they met Marapira in Nemhamushava’s area under Chief Nhema in Shurugwi on Wednesday.
Village head Tinashe Muhloro Nhemamushava expressed his disappointment with Government inefficiencies.
“We are going for more than 3 weeks without dipping our cattle. What annoys us is that we were asked to pay tax and we paid for the whole year. When is Government going to be serious with livestock? Without livestock agriculture is doomed. We benefit in many ways from cattle; we sell them and get money for children’s school fees, we use them for draught power, we get milk and meat and we get manure to put in our fields.
We no longer have cattle in Shurugwi. Somewhere in Government, there are people who are not doing their work. We are relieved that the Minister is here, maybe he will take our grievances to Parliament,” said Muhloro.
In response, Marapira promised immediate Government intervention.
“Livestock is the backbone of agriculture so the US$2 per beast per year which you farmers are paying is not enough to buy chemicals for the whole year. Therefore Government intervenes and help farmers with dipping chemicals. Starting today your cattle will dip every week so that we fight against January disease,” said Marapira.
Marapira pledged to donate zinc sheets to rehabilitate a dip tank that was destroyed during the war of liberation in the 70s. He also pledged a solar stand for a borehole to provide water to the dip tank.
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