The Sunday News
Mhlupheki Dube
FOLLOWING an overwhelming response by farmers and readers from last week’s article on the importance of biosecurity measures I decided to provide a follow up on the same subject this week.
As a recap on the critical biosecurity procedures that every farmer should institute on his/her production unit we said the farmer should observe the following:
– Buy stock from preferably clean sources.
This means you should have at least information on the health practices of the farmer you are buying from, for example does he/she vaccinate his/her animals as a routine animal health management practice?
Also is there a disease which is endemic in that particular area from which you are buying your stock?
It could be notifiable diseases such as anthrax and FMD or other non-notifiable diseases.
– Secondly keep batches which are bought in from different sources separated from each other and also separated from those already in the farm.
This will help to prevent cross infections which normally present as an epidemic outbreak and are very difficult to control and inevitably result in severe losses especially in poultry species.
– If there is not enough space to keep the different batches separated for the entire lifespan, it is important to at least quarantine them for a minimum period of a month during which observations on any disease manifestation can be made.
-For intensive systems of production such as poultry production units and milk production units, it is important to have foot baths and other hygienic facilities such as shower and change rooms so that persons visiting these units are clean and therefore they cannot import diseases into these facilities.
Also minimise external persons who visit your production units as these are likely sources of infection.
– Keep your stock feed free from rodents and birds as these are transmitters of diseases, especially for poultry production units.
– For livestock ranching farms, it is essential to keep your fences intact so as to prevent unrestrained entry of animals into your farm by animals especially from communal or neighbouring farmers.
This is usually the difficult part for most ranchers, especially if they share boundaries with neighbours who will be cutting and stealing boundary fences.
It is expensive to be replacing fences all the time and also prosecuting perpetrators.
The violation of boundary and paddocking fences is even compounded if the farm is invaded by illegal miners who are known to be a law unto themselves.
Having discussed what an individual farmer can and should do as a matter of biosecurity protocol, it is important to indicate that at a broader level it is the Government’s responsibility to institute biosecurity measures for disease control.
This is the part that boggles my mind because as one moves across regional countries it is very common to find veterinary control check points where cars and humans are required to go through foot baths as a biosecurity measure.
You will find that in Botswana, South Africa, Zambia and other neighbouring countries but Zimbabwe has no such point despite our perennial challenge with FMD!
What is our story? One would expect to have such veterinary biosecurity points not only at points of entry and exit into the country but perhaps across provincial boundaries in areas prone to livestock diseases.
It is unwise to just sit around and expect to control this trade important disease by random half-hearted vaccinations!
This is an all or nothing disease which means you have to go all the way if you want to control it.
I therefore implore powers that be to adopt a more serious approach to veterinary biosecurity measures.
This includes reviving veterinary control boundary fences as well as setting up foot baths at designated critical points.
I understand perfectly well that our country is facing economic challenges and resource allocation is strictly prioritised.
This is one such priority area!
Uyabonga umntakaMaKhumalo.
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