LIVESTOCK and poultry firm, Fivet Animal Health, is investigating eight cattle deaths in the Matabeleland province allegedly due to urea poisoning from its protein supplement for ruminants.
Reports indicated that Zodwa Dube, a local farmer in the province, allegedly fed her cattle with the Nhapi Tapi 98 product, which led to the death of eight of her livestock.
In a statement, Fivet’s nutrition general manager Russell Smith emphasised that the company prioritised animal health and was treating the incident as a priority.
“We at Fivet Animal Health express our deepest concern regarding the unfortunate incident in Matebeleland, where eight died allegedly due to urea poisoning after being fed our product, Nhapi Tapi 98,” he said.
“As a company dedicated to the health and well-being of animals, we are treating this matter with utmost urgency and care.”
He said the Nhapi Tapi 98 was a urea-based protein supplement designed for ruminant livestock formulated to provide essential nutrients that helped improve digestion, efficiency and protein assimilation.
This was especially designed to be used during dry seasons or periods of limited forage availability.
“Like all urea containing supplements, it must be handled with caution,” Smith said.
“Proper feeding instructions are vital to prevent the risk of urea toxicity, which can occur when animals ingest excessive amounts or if the product is improperly mixed or introduced too rapidly into the animal’s diet.”
He said upon hearing the news of the deaths of livestock, the company deployed its team to investigate the incident .This, he added, was to use the collected data to find the reason behind the deaths and to ensure it was not as a result of misapplication or misuse of the product.
“Our team has been working closely with all interested parties,” Smith said.
“While we are still in the process of gathering detailed data, preliminary reports indicate that there may have been a misapplication or misuse of the product, which could have led to the unfortunate deaths of the cattle.”
He urged farmers to follow proper guidelines when using its products to avoid such incidences in the future.
Smith said farmers, when using this product, in particular, had to ensure that the animals had access to roughage before introducing to the supplement and that the stages of using it in its application were followed.
He added that there was a need for a proper mixing of products.
NewsDay Farming understands that the firm met with the affected customer to gather background information about the incident and is providing veterinary advice.