By MILDRED KATONGO –
GOVERNMENT is constructing six dip tanks at the cost of K900,000 in four agriculture areas in Kitwe.
District Agriculture coordinator Raphael Muyaule said the six dip tanks were being constructed at Kamfinsa, Zambia National Service (ZNS), Mwekera, Luto and two at Kakolo agriculture centres.
Dr Muyaule said out of the six dip tanks, two had already been constructed while the rest were near completion point.
“Government recently awarded contracts in various towns on the Copperbelt to construct 26 dip tanks and Kitwe has benefited six,” he said.
Dr Muyaule said the dip tanks would help reduce livestock diseases and increase the population of cattle in the district which currently stood at 8,000.
He said in the past, the district had no dip tanks adding that livestock farmers used sprays to prevent and treat livestock diseases instead of dipping the cattle.
Dr Muyaule said the construction of public dip tanks in the district would help farmers take their animals for dipping to prevent cattle diseases.
He said with the construction of dip tanks in the district, Copperbelt would continue to be a cattle disease free zone and farmers would no longer have challenges because the dip tanks would help them control diseases transmitted by ticks.
Dr Muyaule also said the district would soon have a livestock service centre where livestock farmers would be taking their animals for vaccines and other livestock related issues.