In Zimbabwe, every year, farmers lose cattle to tick-borne diseases particularly known as January disease or Theileriosis. With this knowledge, a group of well-wishers donated tick-grease to farmers to combat the outbreak.
After the group donated to the government, the department of Veterinary services urged farmers to utilise the government’s free tick -grease programme to reduce livestock deaths.
Farmers were encouraged to collect tick- grease from the presidential livestock input scheme from Grain Marketing Board (GMB) depots dotted around the country.
“Government has seen it fit to produce 1 million kilogrammes of tick-grease in order to cater to every livestock farmer who has been instrumental in the feeding of vulnerable communities. As of now, we have 600 000 kgs available at GMB depots countrywide and each farmer is receiving 1kg,” noted Dr Josphat Nyika, Chief Director of Veterinary Services.
Dr Nyika also stated that tick -grease was however not a substitute for cattle dipping.
The tick _grease programme doesn’t mean cattle no longer have to dip. Farmers are encouraged to follow the intensive weekly dipping until the end of the rainy season as the disease remains prevalent in high rainfall areas such as Mashonaland central, east and west, parts of the Midlands and Manicaland provinces.
