Import substitution drive extended to vet drugs
THE country’s push to replace imports of agriculture products with locally produced commodities has gone a rung higher with Government recently announcing intentions to start producing anthrax and blackleg vaccines by 2025 to reduce dependency on imported inoculations and ensure a steady supply of affordable and effective veterinary drugs to farmers.
Acting chief director Department of Veterinary Services (DVS), Dr Pious Makaya told this publication that producing vaccines locally was one of the strategic moves the country was making to consolidate the gains made in that discipline after successfully managing to manufacture three tick-borne diseases vaccines, which are currently in use.
“The country is hoping to produce enough anthrax vaccines locally in the next two years, as it moves to eradicate diseases that are frustrating efforts to grow the national herd every time,” he said.
Government’s decision also comes in the wake of growing pleas by farmers for the localisation of the production of veterinary vaccines to curb livestock losses and slash the huge import costs that come with sourcing them from outside the country.
Dr Makaya said they had since trained people on producing the vaccines and were just waiting to secure the necessary pieces of equipment and some specialised kits to get the project started.
He revealed that Zimbabwe needed close to two million anthrax vaccine doses to effectively control the disease with 426 000 doses having been procured from Botswana so far.
“There are 31 anthrax hotspot districts. We are currently seized with containing an outbreak, which is suspected to have been brought in from across the Zambezi by infected hippos coming from the Zambian side.
The last update on anthrax endemic areas was in Statutory Instrument 221 of 1982, the Animal Health (Anthrax Areas) Order, 1982.
Anthrax outbreaks are quite common during this time of the year when animals graze germinating grass that is close to the ground risking ingesting soil contaminated with anthrax spores in the process.
“As DVS our zeal is to produce vaccines locally so that we also export the surplus and generate foreign currency, which will happen after we achieve self-sufficiency by the year 2025,” said Mr Makaya.
Livestock Farmers Union chairperson Mr Sifiso Sibanda said livestock farmers badly wanted production of veterinary chemicals to be localised to stop dependency on other countries.
“The move towards producing vaccines locally is expected to spawn several benefits that include reducing the country’s reliance on imported vaccines, which are often expensive and subject to supply chain challenges,” said Mr Sibanda.
Mr Sibanda added that the Government’s initiative would significantly improve disease prevention and control, thereby protecting livestock, as vaccines would be easily accessible at affordable prices.
This initiative is expected to improve disease control measures for the benefit of farmers and the nation as a whole.
In 2020, Government approved the Livestock Recovery and Growth Plan (2021-2026), whose main thrust is to put in place solid interventions to address livestock production and productivity issues that lay a good foundation for the livestock sector to assume its prominent role in transforming farmers’ livelihoods and provide the required raw materials for agriculture-led industrial development, among other things’.