Staff Reporter
THE Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform has clarified that the exportation of live cattle (weaners/young cattle) to South Africa has not been stopped.
“Anyone who wishes to export live cattle to South Africa should apply for the South African Veterinary Import Permit. All importation and exportation of livestock and livestock products is facilitated through the provisions outlined in the Animal Health Act (Act 1 of 2011), and therefore, Namibia allows for the importation of fully processed livestock feed in compliance with our veterinary import requirements,” the ministry’s Acting Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr John Shoopala, explained.
However, Shoopala added, Namibia is currently engaged in negotiations with South Africa on the revised veterinary import requirements for the importation of unprocessed livestock feed such as hay, forage, lucerne, and normal grass. Shoopala explained that the importation of unprocessed livestock feed will adhere to the requirements set by the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH).
He revealed that these requirements stipulate that the feed should have been harvested from registered establishments where no cloven-hoofed animals were kept. Additionally, the feed must either be subjected to steam in a closed chamber, reaching a minimum temperature of 80°C for ten minutes, treated with formalin fumes (formaldehyde gas, solution 35-40%) in a chamber kept closed for at least eight hours at a temperature of 19°C, or kept in bond for at least four months.
“The transporting vehicles should be cleaned and disinfected with veterinary-approved disinfectants effective at inactivating the Foot and Mouth Disease Virus. Vehicles must be sealed in such a way that no unauthorised materials can be added to the consignment after sealing, and seals should only be broken by veterinary officials upon arrival in Namibia,” Shoopala added.
File photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo: Pexels
