NEWCASTLE DISEASE BLOWS MILLIONS ANNUALLY

It has been known that Newcastle, a poultry disease which appears during the hot seasons, blows millions of Kwacha's every hear in the country.

In an interview with the National Coordinator for Smallholder Poultry Farmers Association of Malawi (SPOFAM) Ernest Wyson, said ninety percent of revenue is lost in Malawi from traditional poultry keepers through the disease.

He said, : "Up to ninety percent of village chicken stocks are lost annually in affected stocks in Malawi, traditional poultry keepers lose millions of Kwacha's annually."

In Malawi, the disease appears two to three times a year during the hot months and do kill many chickens within a few days or a week.

According to Wyson, under extreme temperatures that are sometimes associated with climate change, some poultry can hardly cope with the conditions considering their body temperatures.

He also added that the disease is spread directly by contact between sick and healthy chickens and also that farmers should try as much as possible to keep their birds under minimum recommended temperatures.

While other farmers opt for several remedies to cure the disease, Wyson reminds that there is no treatment for Newcastle disease but can be prevented using vaccines which he also stressed the upsurge of the disease is due to lack of the vaccines and care more especially in the traditional poultry keeping.

"Vaccination against Newcastle will protect only against Newcastle disease, not other diseases. Chickens vaccinated against Newcastle disease may still die of other diseases. Vaccination of chickens against this disease is cheap and it is one of the most important ways in which to improve chicken production." Said Wyson.

COVID 19 STILL HAUNTING TOURISM SECTOR

Malawi Tourism Council (MTC) an umbrella body for tourist operators in the country, has been engaging the government to bail out the tourism sector to recover as it has been the hardest hit by the Covid 19 pandemic.

The council has expressed worries for the tourism sector being overrun of support in the 2020/21 national budget which has been estimated at K2.2 trillion which in turn it says could have boosted it's recovery.

According to a statement released recently by the MTC, the board is in awe as to why the budget was silent on the support for the tourism industry, which is one of the hardest hit by the pandemic and has lost more than 35,000 jobs since March.

"More than ever, the industry, which makes substantial contribution to the economy, needs a swift government intervention while realising that full recovery for the industry is projected for a couple of years or longer." Reads part of the statement.

It is clear that players in the tourism sector are advocating for the suspension of pay as you earn (PAYE), temporary waiver on fixed utility bills such as electricity, suspension of interest on bank loans against a revised interest rate, suspension of withholding tax payments, postponing payment of licences and permits on food and beverages.

Recently, the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Culture, Isaac Katopola admitted that the request by the MTC officials for government to bail them out was made through the Ministry of Finance and the Reserve Bank of Malawi.

He said the request mainly focused on two areas either to make a once-off payment or pay part of the salaries of compliant tourism operators for at least three months to ease possible closures of companies but stressed that the government has to look where to get the finances.

Said Katopola, : "Another request was on possible cuts on utility charges that are calculated based on maximum demand, this is still being considered but the covid 19 business challenges and possible solutions are like unchartered waters that may take time to deal with."

The economy has lost about K40.5 billion in the tourism sector between April and June and needs about K7.3 billion monthly as bail out to cutter for staff bills.