16 Dec 2021

Ngamiland farming community has been urged to come up with strategies that can help address stock theft in the region.

Principal veterinary officer, Dr Tshenolo Pebe made the remarks during a stock theft workshop organised by Sehithwa police under the theme; My livestock, My Business.”

Dr Pebe said that stock theft in the region was a threat to the beef industry hence the need for a collective effort and a well thought out strategy to fight the problem.

The Ngamiland region has many pastoral farmers who contribute to the country’s economic development, he said.

He however urged farmers to follow the right procedures when selling livestock to abattoirs, noting that some farmers were not using the Animals Identification and Traceability System (BAITS) as livestock were found moving around without ear tags.

Dr Pebe emphasised that branding of cattle and zonal branding were very important as they assist in tracing livestock.

Some farmers, he said, only branded their cattle when they were about to sell them, noting that leaving cattle unbranded exacerbated stock theft.

Dr Pebe said cattle should be branded and ear tagged when they were six months old and farmers should ensure that such information was captured in the system.

He also decried slow uptake of BAITS by farmers, saying some bought ear tags and sold them which defeated the purpose of the system.

The overall ear tagging in the region, he said stood at 49 per cent, noting that Sehithwa area had a population of over 6 000 cattle but only 1 776 animals had been tagged, while Toteng area had over 7 000 cattle and only 2 500 had been tagged.

“The low numbers is an indication that farmers have stopped ear tagging their cattle. We understand that some farmers were against the initiative as they preferred bolus over ear tagging and I urge you to change your mindset and utilize BAITS,” Dr Pebe said.

He emphasised traceability, explaining that if farmers failed to tag their animals, there would be no evidence of vaccination for Foot and Mouth Disease.

Dr Pebe also warned farmers against engaging agents when selling their animals, whom he said were making better profits at their expenses.

Farmers were urged to consider setting up a loading ramp or establish a strategic point where they could all bring their animals during the buying period.

Speaking on behalf of District NO. 5 Officer Commanding, Superintendent Molefe Molefe concurred that stock theft was a serious concern country wide, explaining that the battle could only be won if all stakeholders joined forces.

The police alone, he said could not win the battle and as such they needed the communities support.

He also stated that the law was clear that all animals should be sold in a public place for transparency. He urged the communities to revive kgotla kraals, which he observed many were old and dilapidated.

He explained that it was against the law to allow agents to collect their animals from kraals, brand and tag them.

Supt Molefe also urged communities to support anti-stock theft measures put in place and inform the police regarding suspicious supply of livestock or livestock produce. ENDS