Thyolo District Agriculture Office has banned the passage of livestock through the district to prevent the spread of foot and mouth disease.

Speaking in an interview on Tuesday, the district’s director of agriculture, environment and natural resources Jackson Nkombezi asked full council members to help in enforcing the ban.

Heads of cattle captured in this file photo

“Nsanje and Chikwawa districts share borders with Thyolo and in July this year they reported the disease. Foot and mouth disease is contagious and affects animals such as cattle, pigs, sheep and goats,” he said.

Nkombezi said the disease has already spread to Phalombe and Neno districts in the Southern Region.

“The disease has economic implications on farmers’ livelihoods,” he said.

Thyolo district agriculture officer Miriam Kumwenda Ndhlovu said their major concern was dairy farming as the district has at least 40 000 heads of cattle.

“We have 42 321 heads of dairy cattle, 539 693 goats, 430 sheep, 464 903 pigs and 2 064 Malawi Zebu heads of cattle that are at risk,” she said.

Last month, Mzimba District also reported 86 cases of foot and mouth disease in four extension planning areas, namely Luwerezi, Gugu, Manyamula and Mjinge where 22 kraals were affected.

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