Deon Schlechter
WINDHOEK - The Meat Board of Namibia (MBN) has warned the farming community, farmers’ unions/associations, animal feed processors and retailers as well as all other meat industry role players that the use of chicken litter /manure as livestock feed is not allowed under the Farm Assured Namibian Meat (FAN Meat) Scheme.
The prohibition on the feeding of chicken litter/manure to livestock is necessary to guarantee the safety of Namibian meat as well as ensuring that Namibia can continue to demonstrate ongoing freedom from Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) (Mad Cow Disease).
The feeding of chicken litter/manure to livestock is unsanitary and can lead to the spread of diseases as well as unwanted antibiotic residues in meat. The European Union (EU), which is Namibia’s most important meat trading partner, adopted regulation (EC) 1774/2002 which categorises manure as a category two material, which may not be fed to food-producing animals. As a trading partner of the EU concerning livestock products, regulation (EC) 1774/2002 is also applicable to Namibia.
The FAN Meat Scheme was announced a national scheme by Cabinet on September 29, 1999 and the Meat Board of Namibia was mandated as the administrator of the FAN Meat scheme.
Section 8.1 of the FAN Meat Standards for Producers state: “Livestock may be fed supplementary feed and licks but only registered feeds and licks may be used. Besides commercially available feeds and licks, on-farm mixtures may also be fed. On-farm mixtures must only contain/ consist of farm feeds or licks previously registered for use in Namibia and may not contain any prohibited substance.”
This is under provisions of the Fertilizers, Farm Feeds, Agricultural Remedies and Stock Remedies Act (Act 36 of 1947).
Further, Section 8.2 of the FAN Meat Standards for Producers states: “ No feeds containing ingredients obtained from ruminants (carcass meal, blood meal, bone meal or any other bone product, including hoofs and horns, meat meal or meat) and chicken manure may be acquired, disposed of, sold or fed to ruminants.”
The farming community, farmers’ unions / associations, animal feed processors and retailers as well as all other meat industry role players are hereby notified that chicken litter/manure is not registered as a farm feed in Namibia and registration of chicken litter/manure as a farm feed is not in the interest of the livestock and meat industry.
Consequently, the MBN urges all the meat industry role players to take note of and comply with the standards accordingly.