Apostolic sects refuse to dip livestock
January 13, 2013 in Community News
HURUNGWE — Members of some Apostolic sects (Mapostori) here are hampering
government efforts to eradicate tick-borne diseases by refusing to dip their
cattle saying it is against their beliefs, a district veterinary officer has
said.
BY MOSES CHIBAYA
Veterinary officer for Hurungwe-Kariba district, Nyaradzo Rukatya said
resistance by the church members had contributed to the 80% mortality of
livestock in the district.
“The problem we have is that farmers are not cooperating despite us getting
dipping chemicals,” said Rukatya.
“Some of them just don’t turn up with their cattle. They don’t want. We have
those people who go to Mapostori, they will tell you that they don’t take
their animals for vaccination.”
Despite the resistance, the veterinary department had made some inroads
towards eradicating the diseases, he said.
It started with dipping goats and sheep together with cattle to break the
ticks’ life cycle.
Rukatya said there had been a 8% decrease of cattle mortality in the
district since the department started dipping goats and sheep, following a
capital injection by the European Union [EU].
“Basically, we usually get a 80% loss from tick-borne diseases, but right
now there is a reduction of about 8%,” Rukatya said at a recent field
organised by the EU.
Through the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and with
funding from the EU, at least US$3,7 was injected for dipping activities for
small-holder farmers countrywide.
About 4,5 million cattle or 90% of the total number of cattle countrywide
are targeted.