ONGWEDIVA - Farmers in the Northern Communal Areas (NCA) can now resume to move and slaughter their cattle following the lifting of the ban on cattle movement restrictions yesterday.
The ban was imposed following the outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in the two Kavango regions, Ohangwena, Oshikoto, Kunene, Oshana and Tsumkwe constituency in Otjozondjupa.
“The Directorate of Veterinary Services under the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform would like to inform farmers and the general public about the lifting of all movement restrictions that were imposed following the outbreaks of FMD,” said the Chief Veterinary Officer Albertina Shilongo in a statement.
According to Namibia’s FMD contingency plan, the restrictions lapse 90 days after the last case was detected in the protected zone.
In this case, the last case was observed on 20 January 2021.
The first case was detected in Kavango East on 28 September 2020 and later spread to nine regions.
Despite the lifting of the restrictions, Shilongo said the vaccination of cattle against FMD will continue to prevent possible future outbreaks and the FMD surveillance will continue.
“Farmers are urged to bring cattle for vaccination at crush pens and also report any suspicious FMD cases to the nearest state veterinary offices,” said Shilongo.
In the attempt to control the FMD outbreak, control measures such as the vaccination of cattle, disease surveillance and movement restrictions of all live cloven-hoofed animals, their products and other potentially infectious material were instituted.
Shilongo said farmers and the general public played an important role in the control and containment of the disease by presenting their cattle for vaccination and adhering to control measures that were put in place.