Staff Reporter
AUCTIONS in Namibia could gradually resume once authorities are satisfied that the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak has been contained within the Karasburg district, Agriculture Minister Inge Zaamwani told the National Assembly today.
Responding to a question from Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) MP McHenry Venaani, Zaamwani said the ministry is assessing the situation and consulting with South African authorities on the protocols required to resume auction trading.
“We are assessing the situations. Our first priority is to contain the epicentre,” Zaamwani said.
She said Cabinet had approved the construction of a containment zone within the Karasburg district and that the ministry was working to procure the required materials and begin vaccination of animals in the area.
“Once we have done an assessment and we are confident that we have contained the outbreak within that area, then we will look at reopening gradually the trading,” she said.
Zaamwani said some trading had already resumed for cattle that had been found in the kraals for auction, as well as animals in quarantine facilities that had been cleared for slaughter.
She said the next consideration was the resumption of auctions, with Namibia also engaging South Africa on the possibility of reopening auction trading for the South African market.
“There are certain protocols that we have to put in place,” Zaamwani said.
She said technical officials from Namibia and South Africa held an online meeting today to discuss the procedures and protocols required to expedite the resumption of auctions.
Zaamwani added that South African experts are expected to visit Namibia on Friday, 9 October, for further discussions.
Venaani had asked whether auctions could be reopened in other parts of the country if the disease does not continue spreading rapidly, pointing to the dependence of farmers on livestock auctions to pay workers, send children to school and purchase feed and other necessities.
He also asked whether FMD had been detected among sheep and goats in the south and whether small stock had been tested.
Zaamwani said the ministry is testing all cloven-hoofed livestock, including cattle, sheep, goats and pigs.
According to the latest laboratory figures she provided, tests had been conducted on 2,910 cattle, 22,289 sheep, 4,114 goats and nine pigs.
Of these, clinical signs have been recorded in 127 cattle, 50 sheep, one goat and one pig.
Zaamwani said the ministry remained focused on containing the outbreak within the Karasburg district before considering a broader reopening of livestock trading.
She acknowledged the economic impact of the restrictions on farmers and other stakeholders and said the ministry was also assessing what could be done in the longer term if the situation persists.
Photo: Parliament of the Republic of Namibia
