Agriculture deputy minister (livestock) Paddy Zhanda yesterday said government had stopped issuing out new licences for abattoirs accusing them of spreading foot-and-mouth disease.
BY MTHANDAZO NYONI
Speaking at the Zimbabwe Association of Dairy Farmers (ZADF) second annual general meeting in Bulawayo yesterday, Zhanda accused private abattoirs in Bulawayo and Zimbabwe as whole of spreading the disease through illegal transportation of cattle from other areas.
“We are not going to issue any new licences for abattoirs because there is no need. We have heard that some of them are responsible for importing foot-and-mouth disease and we are not going to allow that to happen. We are not going to have stakeholders that are not responsible,” Zhanda said.
Zhanda said private abattoirs were ignoring restrictions regarding movement of cattle from areas where there was a foot-and-mouth outbreak, all for the love of money.
Zhanda was responding to a question by one participant who accused some players in the agriculture sector for spreading the disease. In April this year, the Veterinary Services Department ordered Mbokodo Abattoir along Plumtree Road to suspend operations after foot-and-mouth was detected.
Zhanda warned others were on surveillance with a view to containing the disease.
Recently, Zhanda named Mwenezi as the source of a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak stalking Matabeleland region. Foot-and-mouth disease is a viral infection which affects livestock.
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Meanwhile, Zhanda also urged dairy farmers to produce enough products for the Zimbabwean market before talking about exporting to other countries in the region.
He said dairy farmers needed to be protected from cheap imports coming from South Africa.
Stakeholders who participated in the meeting said there was need for the government to align the Dairy Act which was established in 1938.
Speaking at the same event, ZADF national chairperson Craig Follwell said the industry was growing as their monthly production had increased by 1,5%.
“We have seen a slow, but constant increase in milk volumes and I do believe within the next couple of years we will supply our country with the raw milk and products our people require,” he said.
