‘Contain FDM in hunger-stricken areas’

FARMERS unions have implored the government to quickly come up with innervations to contain Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) especially in hunger- stricken areas to allow farmers to return to their normal business.

National Union for Small Scale Farmers in Zambia (NUSSFZ) and Small Scale Famers Development Agency (SAFADA) said livestock was the only source of livelihood especially after experiencing a prolonged dry spell, especially in Southern Province

Minister of Fisheries and Livestock Nkandu Luo, on Thursday, lifted the ban of livestock movement in Eastern Province after the ministry contained the FMD.

NUSSFZ president Frank Kayula said it was prudent the government puts up necessary measures to ensure that the deadly disease was contained so that farmers had a source of income to sustain their lives.

Dr Kayula said there was need for Government to ensure the ban on the livestock movement was lifted in areas where the hunger situation was worse.

“For us our desire is that the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock quickly works on the issue of foot and mouth disease in hunger-stricken areas because the situation was serious.

“People from there need help because we know that they don’t have maize and the next alternative they have is livestock. But if they cannot even sell the livestock they have, how are they going to survive?

“So we are appealing to emergency treatment of this disease so that people in these areas start selling their animals to sustain their lives,” he said.

SAFADA president Boyd Moombye said quick intervention to contain the FMD was the only way to help people in hunger- stricken areas to sustain their lives.

Mr Moombye said people in those areas depend on livestock for their livelihood and so government should ensure that the disease was contained.

Mr Moombye, however, urged Government to implement the vaccination exercise in the country to avoid recurrence of the deadly disease.

He said climate change was real and that people needed to diversify, and move away from maize dependency, to avoid recurrence of FMD.