Farmers who lost livestock at the height of Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasa are requested to dispose of carcasses responsibly to prevent exposing their communities to significant health risks.

The National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) has urged farmers to assist health officials on the ground in properly disposing dead livestock carcasses.

“Where significant livestock losses incurred, the Ministry of Agriculture deployed its teams on the ground to conduct massive burial of carcasses. But due to resource constraints, the Ministry of Agriculture is unable to attend to all individual farmers and as such, requests farmers to please dispose of carcasses responsibly as these pose a significant health risk to the surrounding communities when left exposed,” the NDMO stated in a Government statement issued yesterday.

Farmers are also advised to minimise direct contact with the carcass, and to wear protective clothing if need be.

In the same statement, the Ministry of Agriculture has pleaded with livestock farmers to take responsibility of their dead stock.

“Depending on farmers’ resource capabilities, they could either burn or bury (sufficient depth of at least one metre of soil on top of the carcass) their dead stock. The site of burial must be well away from waterways,” the ministry stated.

The NDMO says farmers are requested to notify the Commissioner Northern’s Office so an arrangement is made with the Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Health for site visitation to fumigate the farm.

Farmers are also advised to inform their nearest livestock locality officer once they have responsibly disposed of the carcass.