By Aliko Munde

Chitipa, February 27, Mana: SPRODETA a local non-governmental organization and Chitipa District Council have embarked on awareness campaigns on the importance of livestock farmers utilising dip tanks especially cattle farmers at Lufita Extension Planning Area (EPA).

SPRODETA is implementing a two-year Beef Value Chain (BVC) Project, which targets 6350 cattle farmers in Chisenga and Lufita Extension Planning Areas (EPAs) in the district, which is being financed by Transforming Agriculture through Diversification and Entrepreneurship (TRADE) to the tune of K200 million.

Nutrition, Gender and Social Inclusion Officer for SPRODETA-TRADE Project, Grace Khonje, said that the biggest challenge cattle farmers are facing is diseases.

Khonje said that during the rainy season, ticks are rampant hence the need for the cattle farmers to utilise dip tanks for treating their cattle.

“In this project, we are promoting the use of dip tanks, as one way to reduce diseases. We have just rehabilitated the dip tanks at Chinunkha and we are sensitising the farmers to start using dip tanks as one way of reducing livestock disease in the area and district as a whole,” Khonje said.

She further advised the farmers to construct proper kraals for their livestock and start storing feed for the livestock.

“Cattle farmers need to start storing feed this time around. This improves the weight of the cattle so that when they go to the market they can easily compete with other cattle. The price is determined by the weight of the animal. In the project, we also want to link these farmers to potential buyers like chain stores,” she said.

Chitipa District Council Livestock Officer, Chikondi Gondwe, said the sensitisation campaign is important because the district council wants the animals in the district to be healthy.

“We want our animals to be of high quality when we bring them to the market. We want our farmers to take livestock farming as a business. Most farmers keep animals for prestige but we want to make them realise that livestock farming is a business,” Gondwe said.

On the issue of public health, Gondwe advised households to stop eating animals that have died, which he said is dangerous.

“We want our farmers to be aware of zoonosis diseases. We are also looking at rabies and Tuberculosis, which are commonly found in animals and can be transmitted to humans if the animal is not examined before slaughtering.  People should not consume animals that have died. It is dangerous,” he appealed.

The project started in August 2024 and it will phase out in August 2026