By Maricho Reporter
In Zimbabwe, tick-borne diseases are responsible for 60% of deaths in cattle herds and government is introducing innovative methods to stop this with the latest being Acaricide Footbaths, a cost-effective alternative to dip tanks, to control the spread of the deadly Amblyomma “bont” tick.
Dip tanks use a lot of water and acaricide as opposed to footbaths which require minimal water and acaricide, are simple to construct and have shown that they are more effective in combating Amblyomma ticks.
These ticks are carriers of heartwater, a prevalent disease affecting sheep and cattle in Zimbabwe.
The LIPS-Zim project funded by the European Union which is being implemented across nine districts in Zimbabwe’s dry regions IV and V, aims at increasing livestock productivity in Zimbabwe’s agro-ecological regions IV and V.
“This is another novel way of dipping livestock, especially cattle and goats. The structure is not only cost-effective but also conserves water and reduces the cost of acaricides for dipping animals, where 15000Lt of water is needed for dipping animals the model uses only 300Lt which is ideal for dry regions” said Andrew Chamisa, Director of Livestock Research, in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development.
Farmers in Chiredzi district, particularly in the Rupangwana Save area, have already embraced this technology and have reported significant reduction in livestock tick infestations and related deaths since they started implementing the technology.
The construction of footbath structures was made possible through the generous support of the European Union, with additional contributions from local farmers who provided labour and resources, as well as technical assistance from the Department of Veterinary Services.
Livestock provides income and employment to farmers, agricultural service providers and others involved in the value chain. Zimbabwe’s livestock production system is characterized by small-scale subsistence farming. Despite the importance of livestock to rural livelihoods, productivity remains low. This is linked to farmer behaviour, feed unavailability and cost, poor quality of animals, diseases and frequent droughts.
Animal health management, improved breeds and improved feed are key to enhance resilience. Tick-borne diseases are causing high cattle mortalities owing to lack of repairs to communally owned dip tanks and lack of regular supply of acaricide. Other vector diseases are affecting livestock. There is a lack of efficient control and monitoring of animal diseases. Moreover, there is lack of adequate veterinary service delivery (disease surveillance and vaccination coverage).
Chamisa noted the collaborative efforts between the livestock department and development partners, particularly the EU- International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) which is funding this initiative.
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