By CATHERINE NYIRENDA –

AGRICULTURE and Livestock Permanent secretary David Shamulenge has announced that Government will soon lift the ban on cattle movement in Western Province to allow farmers in the area to conduct their business to generate income.
Dr Shamulenge said the prolonged ban on cattle movement in Western Province had triggered poverty levels as most farmers depended on rearing and selling of cattle for their livelihood.
“We realise that the prolonged ban of cattle movement in the province has caused a lot of misery and increased poverty levels for the people in the area and we will soon be lifting it to enable them sell their livestock and raise income,” Dr Shamulenge said.
Dr Shamulenge said this when he appeared before the Parliamentary Committee on Government Assurance chaired by United Party for National Development (UPND) Chikankata Member of Parliament (MP) Munji Habeenzu.
Government had for more than three years banned the movement of cattle from Western Province following the outbreak of the contagious bovine
pleuropneumonia (CBPP) in the province.
He said it was not economically viable to have a ban on livestock movement for more than three years.
He said Government had done a lot work to make the province a disease free zone and the levels of the disease had been controlled.
Dr Shamulenge said the Government was conducting a vaccination exercise for the cattle that had traces of the disease while veterinary officers had continued with sensitisation on disease control methods.
On the cattle restocking exercise in different camps, the ministry was waiting for the cabinet memo to be given a go ahead on the exercise in the camps around the country to enhance and improve on livestock numbers.
Dr Shamulenge also said that Government in 2013 recruited over 288 extension officers and were deployed to various areas to beef up on man power to improve the agriculture sector.