Rainfall brings relief but also threats, farmers warned

Farmers need to adopt appropriate management strategies to circumvent possible adverse conditions during the rainy season.

Technical advisor for livestock and rangeland management at Agribank, Erastus Ngaruka, said farmers should note that each rainfall season is unique in terms of commencement, distribution, intensity and associated risks.

A good rainy season should be perceived as one that starts at the anticipated time, he explained, is well-distributed throughout the season and ultimately rehydrates the soil, refills water sources and revegetates the rangeland.

“However, of late, rainfall activities have been conspicuously erratic, and their effects are a huge concern to farmers," Ngaruka said.

Rainfall-induced threats

To this end, although rainfall brings relief to farmers, it is also associated with several adverse conditions that affect the farm environment as well as livestock and crops.

These conditions include lightning strikes, floods, mud traps and pests and disease outbreaks.

Ngaruka pointed out that these conditions pose a significant threat to livestock health, nutrition and general well-being, consequently compromising their productive performance and survival.

“Therefore, farmers need to be wary of rainfall-induced threats and find means of mitigating the consequences.”

The occurrence of pests has been a common threat in Namibia, he added.

For example, an outbreak of armyworms in recent years in the northern regions and of locusts in the southern regions devastated productivity and livelihoods.

Crop farmers lost their yields to worms and livestock farmers in the south lost grazable materials such as grass to locusts.

“Moreover, livestock diseases during rainfall are highly prevalent and the common ones that farmers should look out for include footrot, sweating sickness, gall sickness and lumpy skin disease, among others.”

According to him, footrot is a bacterial infection of the hoof, characterised by lameness and a smelly wound on the hoof.

Predisposing factors include dampness or wet soils, he explained.

Footrot can be prevented by keeping animals out of damp kraals or surfaces. The treatments include cleaning and disinfecting the wound, use of footbaths at kraals and injection with common antibiotics when necessary.

Moreover, with the prevailing moist environment, the tick population is on the rise, he warned.

As such, the prevalence of tick-borne diseases such as 'sweating sickness' and 'gall sickness' should be anticipated.

Sweating sickness mainly affects young calves, Ngaruka said, and the symptoms include high body temperature, loss of appetite, sweating, hair loss, sensitivity and pain.

It is important to note that these diseases are deadly if not treated in time.

In addition, humans are also at risk of tick bites, as some ticks carry the Congo fever virus, a deadly viral disease that can be transmitted to humans through a bite by a tick carrying the virus.

“It is worth noting that there have been cases of Congo fever infections reported in the country in recent years. Therefore, every person on the farm or handling animals should always take precautionary measures and seek immediate assistance from health professionals for tick bites,” said Ngaruka.

Another disease that has gained prevalence during the rainy season in the country is lumpy skin disease.

According to Ngaruka, outbreaks have already occurred in parts of the Otjozondjupa and Omaheke regions.

The disease is a viral disease affecting cattle, transmitted by biting insects such as flies, ticks, and mosquitoes, among others.

The predisposing factor is a wet environment that influences the proliferation of insect populations.

Animals are vulnerable when near water holes or ponds – areas are the breeding grounds for insects.

Lumpy skin disease is preventable with an annual vaccine readily available at veterinary medicine shops.

“It is thus advisable to incorporate vaccination in the farm’s health programme. Conventionally, the best time to vaccinate would be before or at the onset of the rainy season from September to November, given the different conditions in diverse farming areas," Ngaruka advised.

He emphasised that an outbreak of this disease negatively affects the farming economy because quarantine measures are applied, for example, restricting cattle movement and marketing.

“It is also advisable that farmers keep their farming environments clean and safe for themselves and their animals and always observe and report abnormal livestock conditions or behaviours to the nearest veterinary office or livestock health experts.”