Compensate Pemba cattle farmer-NUSSFZ
Written by Millennium on June 13, 2019
NOEL IYOMBWA writes
GOVERNMENT should compensate a Pemba farmer whose animals were slaughtered and later auctioned by the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, says National Union for Small-Scale Farmers Zambia (NUSSFZ) general secretary Frank Kayula.
Dr Kayula said although the farmer abrogated the law by defying the ban on movement of livestock to curb the spread of food and mouth disease, government could have come up with another way of punishing him.
He told the Sun in an interview that government should compensate the farmer after auctioning the animals so that the farmer should not completely lose out.
He said government could have used other methods such as to quarantine the animals than killing them without compensating the farmer.
Dr Kayula warned farmers in Zambia to abide by the law in area of their production avoid losing out like in the Pemba matter.
“As far as the Union is concerned we abrogated the law band government should punish us but at the same time government should have a heart for the farmer by giving back the money after auctioning the animals so that he does not completely lose out. It’s a lesson to other farmers,” he said.
Last week, a farmer of Pemba Mr Keme Syantumbe collapsed after the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock slaughtered and disposed of 71 of his animals worth K138, 000.
Choma District Fisheries and Livestock coordinator, Dr. Alex Hachangu said the action was taken in view of the animal movement ban effected in February due to the Foot and Mouth Disease.
The animals were being moved from Pemba to Mumbwa via Mang’unza on foot from among the areas affected by foot and mouth disease.
Dr. Hachangu said that the action was in line with the Health Act No. 27 of 2010 which provides for the clearance of all animals moving from one district to another by the veterinary department.
He said that the ministry had no choice in this case as there was no clearance from Vet and the police.
