Elita Chikwati Senior Agriculture Reporter
More than 800 000 households countrywide have received free tick grease under the Presidential Blitz Tick grease programme, with the initiative proving effective in reducing the number of cattle succumbing to Theileriosis, popularly known as January Disease.

According to the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS), due to the tick grease distribution, January disease cases dropped from 46 715 and 33 514 cases to 25 036 cases and 12 003 deaths during the 2020/21 season.

The latest report from the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement showed that the national dipping programme and tick borne disease control had been a success.

“Dipping is the single most important intervention for the control of ticks and tick borne disease,” said the Ministry. “Although the DVS faced serious challenges in acaricide supply at the beginning of the rainy season, the supply has greatly improved with DVS having enough dip chemical in stock up to the end of August 2021.

“This has helped reduce the number of cattle deaths due to tick-borne diseases.” The Ministry said the DVS had distributed free tick grease to 852 403 beneficiaries under the Presidential Blitz Tick grease programme.

“There is, however, need for timeously and consistent supply of dip chemical before the rainy season which is the peak period of tick activity,” said the Ministry.

The Presidential Blitz Tick Grease Scheme was launched under the Livestock Growth Plan last year.

The programme entailed distribution of a targeted one million one kilogramme packs of tick grease for free to one million cattle-owning households.

The programme supplemented intensive cattle dipping programme in the rainy season, when cattle are dipped once every week and tick grease being applied in-between the dipping seasons.

Farmers were trained on the correct application of the tick grease on cattle on the tick feeding sites on the animal such as ears, base of the horn, under the tail, and on the tail brush.