Africa-Press – Namibia. THE Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, Calle Schlettwein, has announced plans to move the Veterinary Cordon Fence (VCF), also known as the Red Line, further north, declaring some northern areas previously impacted by the fence as disease-free.
“We can take that next step, and all the farmers in those areas will benefit from being in a disease-free zone and having access to the markets,” he said.
Schlettwein made this announcement at the official opening of the Aminus Agricultural and Industrial Show, where he acknowledged that several areas are still not disease-free. However, he assured that the ministry is working to ensure these areas will soon be free of animal diseases.
He also announced that farmers in areas not yet declared disease-free will still benefit from commodity-based trade and equal prices for their products through the development of a Price Equalisation Fund, supported by the government.
“So equal prices will come. Disease-free zones will come for some soon, and the maintenance of the animal-health status that allows us access to these markets must be protected, which our veterinary department is quite successfully doing,” he said.
Schlettwein attributed the success of being able to move the veterinary fence to the ministry’s effective Veterinary Department.
“Namibia is the only country in Africa that has access with its beef and lamb into the European market, into the United States market, into China, the Arab world, and the whole of Africa. That is because we have a really good veterinary system that protects our animals against diseases, so much so that we have a disease-free zone,” he said.
Schlettwein revealed that in the North, the ministry continues to vaccinate animals against foot-and-mouth disease, with a vaccination rate of over 80% so far.
He also revealed that the ministry has invested N$800,000 in vaccines and tools for vaccinations against lumpy skin disease. He acknowledged that the government does not typically fund this disease, but due to a recent outbreak in some areas, a decision was made to invest in vaccines and tools.
“We have to maintain that, and we must embrace the next step when the Veterinary Cordon Fence is moved to the north. I am looking forward to sharing those prospects with the farmers in those areas,” the minister added.
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