Vaccination of calves against, East Coast Fever in Vubwi district has started with a low number of farmers taking their animals for vaccination.
Vubwi District Livestock and Fisheries Coordinator, Masiye Banda told Breeze News that district is targeting to vaccinate 750 calves this month but only 139 animals have been vaccinated so far.
Dr. Banda has attributed the low number of farmers taking their animals for vaccination to long distances people cover to access vaccination centres.
He says that currently, the department has inadequate transport to go in the remotest areas of the district to conduct the exercise closer to the farmers.
Dr. Banda added that another contributing factor to the low turn out is because most people are from celebrating Christmas and New Year and have kept money for their children’s school fees.
He says the department hopes to reach the targeted 750 calves in the three weeks that are remaining for the vaccination exercise to be completed.
Dr. Banda noted that animals in Vubwi are prone to various tick diseases because the district shares borders with Malawi and Mozambique.
He reiterated that 17,200 Kwacha is being used in the second round of vaccination against East Coast Fever in Vubwi.