Lusaka — GOVERNMENT has released K1.5 billion to help combat bovine plural - pneumonia (BPP) disease which continues to kill cattle in Western Province, finance deputy minister Felix Mutati said yesterday.

Mutati said in an interview the disease was now under control following the release of funds needed for buying the drugs. Recently, government banned the movement of cattle from Western Province to prevent the spread of the disease.

However, secretary for Nyawa Co-operative Society Eckle Nalishuwa said farmers were worried because infected cattle from Western Province were coming into the area despite the ban. He said cattle dealers had continued moving animals to the Copperbelt for sale through Moomba in Southern Province where they obtained illegal stock movement permits.

'We are worried because the remaining cattle which survived the corridor disease will get infected and by the time government gets the medicine all our animals will be dead,' said Nalishuwa.

'We wonder why the veterinary office has continued issuing the live stock movement permits when there is a ban.'

He said their chairman Boyd Makondo had gone to all offices including the provincial agriculture office in Choma as well as police in Livingstone and the veterinary office but nothing had been done.