FMD testing covers more than 25 000 livestock

Agriculture minister Inge Zaamwani says Namibia has tested more than 27 000 livestock for foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), including cattle, sheep, goats and pigs, as authorities work to contain the outbreak in the Karasburg district.

Zaamwani told the National Assembly that laboratory testing has been conducted on 2 910 cattle, 22 289 sheep, 2 114 goats and nine pigs. She said the 127 animals that have shown clinical signs so far were cattle.

On the resumption of livestock auctions, Zaamwani said government is assessing the situation and consulting with South African authorities. “Our first priority is to contain the epicentre,” she said, adding that Cabinet had approved the construction of a containment zone in the Karasburg district.

She said vaccination would also be undertaken in the affected area before government considers gradually reopening livestock trading. “Once we have done the assessment, and we are confident that we have contained the outbreak within that area, then we will be opening gradually the trading,” Zaamwani said.

The minister added that technical teams from Namibia and South Africa were already discussing the protocols required to expedite the resumption of auction trading, while South African agricultural experts are expected in Namibia on Friday.