Staff Reporter
Windhoek
The Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS) has approved the compulsory use of individual identification ear tags for small stock imported or exported to and from South Africa with implementation starting as from September 1 this year.
The identification ear tags for small stock consist of a set of visual ear tags for placement on the right ear and a set of electronic ear tags for placement on the left ear of the animals.
The Meat Board of Namibia (MBN) currently has 96 000 small stock identification ear tags in stock and producers are requested to purchase these at the earliest possible opportunity for any planned exports of small stock from September 1.
The cost of the ear tags is N$10.75 per set and they are made available on a subsidised basis to producers only at the MBN. The Meat Board will purchase the next consignment of small stock ear tags on a tender and cost recovery basis, but these will be made available to producers through agents. For enquiries, contact Dr Anja Boshoff (061-275 841).
Meanwhile the MBN has managed to decrease its operational expenses over the past six years by 30% despite an average inflation increase of 6 percent. It attributes the main reason for reduced operational expenses to decreased income from imposed levies on import and export of livestock and meat imports, which were decreased as a result of policies and the drought.
In 2011, the Meat Board’s operational expenses were N$29 million compared to expenses of N$20 million in 2016. Since 2012, the average total levy per unit of cattle or small stock, and concurrently the Meat Board’s income, decreased with 19%.
Despite the decrease in expenses, the Meat Board said it would continue to deliver utmost important supportive functions to the meat industry and add value for producers.
MBN at its latest board meeting on May 18 approved an additional condition to the sheep-marketing scheme. The condition stipulates that: “In the case where a producer sells sheep to an abattoir for slaughtering and selling, and the producer does not get paid by that particular abattoir within seven days for the sheep delivered, that producer will receive an additional quota, equal to or less than the number of sheep delivered, for the export of sheep.
This additional condition is effective immediately until the upcoming board meeting of the Meat Board of Namibia on August 10, when this condition will be re-evaluated again. For further enquiries contact Goliath Tujendapi on 061-275 836.