By Lauryn M’banga

Agriculturalist Leonard Chimwaza has asked government to be vigilant and proactive in enforcing preventive measures of various livestock diseases.

The call comes at a time some districts in the country such as Neno are battling with the foot and mouth outbreak.

Chimwaza said the Ministry of Agriculture needs to effectively enforce some of the preventive measures of the disease by among other things rehabilitating dilapidated deep tanks and building the capacity of farmers on how to take care of their livestock.

“It’s high time the department of Livestock Development through the Ministry of Agriculture takes preventive measures against foot and mouth disease as serious as possible as it was in the past because in most areas where cattle are kept the cleansing and disinfecting materials like deep tanks are in a dilapidated state which makes cattle prone to so many infectious diseases like foot and mouth,” Chimwaza said.

Ministry’s Public Relations Officer Gracian Lungu said they are enforcing movement controls to reduce the further spread of the disease and that vaccination will commence once testing and mapping of the infected areas is completed.