By Wezi Tjaronda
GOBABIS
The illegal exchange of ear tags that in turn fuelled cattle rustling that was prevalent in most parts of the Omaheke Region has been drastically reduced, largely in part due to community policing.
Dr Alexander Toto, National Coordinator of the Livestock Identification and Traceability said although no reports have been received recently, the practice has not been wiped out completely.
“It has not completely disappeared but we have not had as many reports as we used to get earlier in the year,” said Toto.
Since the introduction of the Farm Assured Meat Identification and Traceability System that requires farmers to ear tag their animals when moving them from one farm to another, cattle thieves have been buying ear tags in order to sell livestock.
The tagging system is a component of Fanmeat that was introduced in 2005 and implemented throughout Namibia in 2006.
A number of cattle rustlers were arrested in December 2006 especially in the Epukiro Constituency for possession of stolen cattle that had other farmers’ ear tags.
But since four to five months ago, cattle thefts have been reduced after some constituencies established community police relations committees at each livestock auction. The practice was rife in communal areas in the Omaheke region. There were fears that if this continued, it would jeopardise markets for Namibian meat and meat products.
Epukiro Regional Councillor, Brave Tjizera and Otjombinde Councillor Matti Ndjoze told New Era yesterday: “For the past four to five months, there have been no more selling of ear tags.”
Ear tags normally priced at N$7.50 apiece fetched as much as N$100 on the black market.
Farmers had complained that they had problems in getting the ear tags on time to be able to attend to emergency financial obligations.
But Gobabis State Veterinarian Dr Milton Maseke yesterday said the ear tags were now readily available and farmers were getting them on time.
“It’s not a problem anymore,” he added.
Some of the requirements that farmers have to meet before they can sell their livestock at auctions include having identity cards, brand cards that have the same information as the ear tags and also a letter from the person from which they bought the animal.
The Epukiro Constituency has a community police that was established around April this year.