Hwedza communal farmers are reportedly selling their cattle for a pittance as fears of January diseases abound. Cattle are being sold for as little as $50 or $60 down from between $300 to $500 a beast. January disease or theileriosis is a tick-borne disease that has caused the death of hundreds of cattle in Mashonaland East Province. In an interview with H-Metro, Hwedza Rural District acting CEO Jeremiah Bako had this to say
This tick-borne pandemic is a result of the lengthy time taken without dipping our cattle. So when farmers see cattle foam from the mouth, they immediately sell them at a paltry $50 – $60 per beast. You can see many carcasses on the roadsides and in some cases, the cattle would have died during transportation to abattoirs and are dumped on the roadside.
Back to top