Mazabuka recieves 50, 000 doses of foot and mouth disease

Mazabuka district has received 50, 000 doses of vaccines for foot and mouth disease ( FMD ) and 4000 doses of east coast fever ( ECF ) for the vaccination of cattle in the district.

Mazabuka district commissioner Tyson Hamaamba revealed this at third ordinary council meeting held in the council chambers yesterday.

Mr . Hamaamba said that government has also released K 360 million for the construction of animal holding pens and dip tanks in Mbiya and Magoye areas of the district.

He said that the district has been affected by animal diseases in resent past and that government was not lying back.

The District Commissioner said that the government was committed to protecting the live stock of the people and would do its best to eradicate cattle diseases in the district.

Mr. Hamaamba said that the district has also recorded another bumper harvest and that the government was preparing to buy maize off the farmers as soon as the moisture content dropped to 12.5.

He said that depots were being off loaded of last years crop to make space for this years harvest and that the district had received 136 000 empty grain bags.

’’We are currently transporting maize to Lusaka from our rural depots to make space for this year’s crop, ’’ the district commissioner said.

Mr. Hamaamba also said that the district was planning to increase the numbers of maize depots from seventeen to avoid farmers walking long distances to sell there maize.

And to avoid long queues when paying of the farmers for there crop more banks will be engaged to make the paying process shorter.

’’The banks that will be engaged are Barclays, Standard Chartered and ZANACO, ’’ the District Commissioner said.

Mr. Hamaamba also said ministry of agriculture was also preparing for this years farming season and that the district had received urea fertilizer and that D compound would be in soon.
ZANIS