Berea, Feb. 12 — The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition (MAFSN) in Berea has on Thursday received a consignment of vaccines meant to treat Lumpy Skin Disease on cows.
This was disclosed by the Acting District Agricultural Officer (DAO), Mrs. Mamphanya Lehloenya during the Motanasela Community Council monthly meeting staged at Sefikeng.
Mrs. Lehloenya said vaccines received forms part of mitigation strategies meant to protect the livestock against the escalating cases of the Lumpy Skin Disease which has led to the death of many cows in some parts of Berea district.
She said although they are yet to draw the vaccination schedule, however their campaign is first going to target the affected farmers or the places where there are some already reported cases.
DAO further said the vaccines are going to be provided for free and as a result farmers should be vigilant of people taking chances.
She further encouraged farmers to regularly provide medicine for their cows, highlighting that in most of the reported cases, the cause of death was found not to be Lumpy Skin Disease, but due to other diseases that can be locally treated with homemade remedies for livestock.
In his remarks, Motanasela Community Council Chairperson Mr. Tlhabeli Majoro said vaccine availability is a sigh of relief for them and livestock farmers respectively.
Mr. Majoro said Lumpy Skin Disease has posed a threat for them with escalating reports of cases and those reported dead and as a result there is a light of hope.
Meanwhile, during the same meeting, the District Publicity Committee also raised awareness to the Community Councilors about the upcoming 2026 Population and Housing Census scheduled to kick start on April 12.
The team further urged Community Councilors to pave a working environment and to disseminate information to the members of the community, also encouraging them to provide true information to the numerators to be deployed in their places as that data is going to play a crucial role in helping the country to plan relatively to the population found on a specific place.
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