Heavy rains kill cattle in Matabeleland South

VETERINARY officials in Matabeleland South say the recent heavy rains recorded in the province have resulted in the death of more livestock.

Provincial chief livestock specialist Simangaliphi Ngwabi confirmed the development last Thursday, but said they had not yet compiled the latest statistics.

"The situation has become worse, animals are dying in numbers," she said.

"Most of the cattle were already thin when the government intervened last year."

"The stockfeed simply maintained their condition."

"Now that it's raining, they continue to die because they don't have enough weight to withstand the cold which comes with the rain.

"It is important to use supplementary feeds during the dry spell so that when the rainy season comes, animals would be having enough fat to survive the cold."

Matabeleland South acting provincial veterinary officer Mbuso Moyo said farmers should be on the look-out for water related livestock diseases.

"Cattle are dying and water related diseases are spreading in this province," she said.

"We are now getting reports of tick-related diseases like heart water and gall sicknesses from areas like Plumtree and Insiza."
He urged farmers to dip their livestock on a weekly basis to avoid losing more animals in the province.

Over 9 000 cattle died in the region between July and December last year with Mangwe district  recording the highest with over
5 000 animals having succumbed to the drought.