ERASTUS NGARUKA LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION IN Namibia mainly comprises cattle, sheep and goats, and management practices adopted are aimed at taking care of their health, nutrition and welfare.
These efforts are aimed at ensuring their optimal performance and productivity. Livestock health is of economic importance to Namibian farmers as it plays a significant role in trading in livestock and their by-products.
Livestock production in the country, especially beef production, has a significant share in the Namibian export basket – be it as live animals such as weaners to South Africa or as beef cuts to European markets like Norway for example.
Namibian beef has over the years enjoyed the advantage of European markets and most recently gained access to the USA and China.
All these market exploration efforts are backed up by the animal health and free-range status the Namibian beef industry has promoted and maintained over the years.
In addition, the country complies with international trade protocols of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and animal health protocols of the World Organisation for Animal Health.
This compliance is strengthened by the country’s own industry protocols of animal health and trade under the regulatory or facilitating authorities such as the Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS) in the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, and the Meat Board of Namibia (MBN), embodying all meat industry stakeholders.
Further, the FANMeat scheme of the MBN also created an assurance of quality and safety of Namibian beef and a traceability system that enables Namibian beef to be traced back from the consumer’s table to the farm of origin.
To access and maintain markets to trade Namibian beef, farmers need to play a big role by implementing or adhering to all animal health and trade regulations or protocols.
It is important that every farmer develop and use an animal health programme, commonly known as a vaccination calendar.
There are certain aspects farmers need to consider when developing their programmes:
Firstly, the prevalence of diseases in their farming environment and the country at large. This includes notifiable diseases like anthrax, brucellosis, and foot and mouth disease, which by law should be controlled regularly through annual vaccinations in Namibia.
These diseases have economic or trade implications, hence the export markets strictly require meat products to come from areas that are free or cleared of such diseases.
In addition, there are also other diseases that affect production, like botulism, black quarter, pulpy kidney and pasteurellos.
Another animal health practice that should be included in the programme is the control of both internal and external parasites.
This is very important because parasites can cause deadly illnesses in livestock.
Some parasites also affect meat quality, resulting in economic losses, for example ‘beef measles’ in carcasses caused by a tapeworm that lives in human intestines.
This tapeworm contaminates the environment through human faeces. Therefore it is also important to practise hygiene on farms by building ablution facilities (toilets) to prevent such contamination.
To retain our consumers’ confidence in our livestock and their by-products, every farmer should support the efforts of the Namibian beef industry.
Coordinated awareness creation and the provision of training to farmers and all stakeholders should be priority.
In addition, farmers’ associations or unions should continue to strengthen their capacities and widen their operations to promote farmers’ participation in the entire value chain.
