21 Aug 2013

Ngamiland farmers have been informed that the second phase of cattle ear tags system is expected to start soon after tender processes are complete.

Briefing farmers at a consultative meeting, Director of Veterinary Services,  Dr Letlhogile Modisa said currently they have started evaluating the new system to see how best they could roll it out to other districts and urged farmers to get ready as Ngamiland district has been included in phase two.

Dr Modisa noted that Bolus has been a problem in Ngamiland district due to Food and Mouth outbreak and believed that ear tagging would benefit farmers by addressing challenges faced in bolus.

He said phase one of the project was complete as 21 000 cattle have been done against the target 28 000.

Dr Modisa said the Ministry of Agriculture decided to introduce a new system of ear tags following the failure of bolus system as Livestock Identification Traceability System (LITS).

He explained that the ministry came up with the new system to help the country meet the requirements of European Union market which proved difficult under bolus system.

The second phase involves ear-tagging using combo tags which will be analogue on the right and electronic on the left ear, he said.  He explained that the electronic ear tags will have a microchip with a unique number embedded in them to be read by a microchip reader.

Dr Modisa further explained that the number will also be inscribed on the surface of the tag making it easy to visually read the number without an IT device.

Farmers will be advised to buy electronic tags at Livestock Advisory Centres (LAC) at a price to be determined at the end of the procurement process, he added.

He stated that framers will be trained on proper application of the combo ear tags, adding that veterinary personnel will help with tagging and data collection, but thereafter farmers will tag their cattle and submit data to Department of Veterinary Services data base.

“In Ngamiland this system is very important as it will determine cattle that have been vaccinated and those which have not and farmers will be required to tag their cattle at all times,” he said.

Farmers were also updated on the FMD strategy for the future.

Dr Modisa observed that in Ngamiland the situation has significantly improved although his department recorded sporadic cases of the disease.

He said most of the cases are isolated and few in numbers, adding that the last case was picked in Habu extension area in June 2013.He expressed optimism that by next year there will be no more cases of FMD.

Dr Modisa also noted that following the spillover of the disease into small stock population in zone 6 containment zone, government has decided to destroy all affected small stock and compensate owners.

In Zone 7, he stated that no cases of FMD were recorded since August 2011 besides threats from neighbouring countries.

Regarding the fence maintenance strategy, he explained that they are working hand in hand with the Department of Wildlife and National Parks to address the issue.

Dr Modisa said they have divided the maintenance into three priorities and his department will maintain border risk areas, border protection zones and quarantines.

The second priority involves partnership with stakeholders and the third one will be decommissioning where some maintenance will be done by farmers committees and Village Development Committees where they will divide the green zone.

The director also mentioned that they do risk based vaccination regime.  He said if they detect threats, they vaccinate before the disease canaffect animals, saying the department has also engaged a consultant to advise on FMD. ENDS