Farmers� woes worsen as livestock succumb to legong-nyana
Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Thursday July 21, 2016 09:54
Last week government announced that the 2015/16 drought year followed a poorly distributed and below normal rainfall in most parts of the country, leaving most grazing areas with no pasture, forcing animals to feed on anything they lay their eyes on. Now, the Ministry of Agriculture has confirmed cases of livestock deaths in Kweneng, Kgatleng and the Central District mostly cattle, sheep and goats and has linked the deaths to livestock feeding on the poisonous plant called pavetta harborii, or legong-nyana.
The belt of the poisonous plant stretches from Artesia-Leshibitse area in Kgatleng district to Kodibeleng area in the Central District.
Although the Ministry of Agriculture could not provide statistics as to how many livestock have died so far, the ministry’s principal relations officer Boikhutso Rabasha said that the situation is aggravated by the current drought, as there is not much for animals to graze on and the plant remains the only greenery in sight.
“The ministry does not have the exact numbers of the dead animals. However data collection is ongoing. The only observable symptom is the increased death of animals, with the culprit plant abundant in the area,” said Rabasha in response to Mmegi enquiry.
She said that government is assisting farmers through provision of technical advice.
“Where possible they should remove the animals from the affected pastures, or otherwise give them supplementary feeds including Dicalcium Phosphate, protein and mineral licks, lab lab, lucerne until the next rainy season. The government has also subsidised livestock feed to enable farmers to buy for their animals.”