Fight on for buffalo farming

The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry says Namibia does not allow African buffalo outside proclaimed national parks, and therefore buffalo can only be sold for export purposes.According to agriculture permanent secretary Percy Misika this is in line with the Animal Health Act 1 of 2011. The agricultural ministry recently denied a request by Erindi Private Game Reserve to introduce buffalo and become the first ever big five reserve in Namibia. Currently, there is overpopulation of buffalo at the Waterberg National Park and grazing is under pressure due to drought. There are currently about 1 000 buffaloes in the park while there is only capacity for 400 and therefore the environment ministry needs to sell some of the animals. The agriculture ministry denied Erindi's request because the total commercial area in Namibia was proclaimed a protected area in 2013, which aims to prevent the introduction and spread of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in the FMD-free zone of the country. The Waterberg Plateau Park, however, is excluded from this proclamation.Wildlife Ranching Namibia (WRN) said in a statement that in terms of current protocols, the entire Namibia, except for seven excluded areas, is a protected area. Therefore the buffalo sold by tender can only be moved to these excluded areas within Namibia or else exported. “That denies Namibian wildlife ranchers the opportunity to own and farm with Namibian buffalo.”WRN said it supports the idea of creating other protected areas south of the veterinary cordon fence and has therefore tendered for the buffalo on behalf of its members. It has opted to support Erindi to apply for recognition as a further excluded area where buffalo may be kept. It said Erindi is an excellent stepping stone in WRN's quest to achieve commercial farming with buffalo, while also creating the first big five destination in Namibia. According to WRN the decision to support buffalo farming south of the red line was a scientific decision based on reputable and accepted research on FMD. “The fear that buffalo farming is a threat to cattle farming is a myth and totally unfounded. Cattle farming and disease-free buffalo farming can co-exist without any threats, provided protocol is followed. It is a reality that the wildlife and tourism industries are a larger contributor to the GDP than the livestock industry and therefore it is important to investigate the potential of disease-free buffalo farming without restrictions of pre-conceived ideas.” According to WRN the African buffalo is the single most economic viable wildlife species in Africa. An international accredited audit firm has been appointed by WRN to make a comprehensive economic impact assessment of buffalo farming in Namibia, not only for game ranching but also for tourism. WRN has put in place and shall propose a very strict buffalo protocol. In spite of the normal control measurements set in place by the respective ministries, WRN envisages it to be self-regulatory to ensure the health status of the buffalo. A standard veterinary operating procedure for buffalo farming will be suggested by WRN to all potential buffalo farmers and relevant ministries.WRN said it is of vital importance that all role players unite to strategise about the future of commercial farming in Namibia to the benefit to all. A stakeholder's workshop for disease-free buffalo farming in Namibia will be held during October 2017 in collaboration with the environment ministry. ELLANIE SMIT

Fight on for buffalo farming

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Namibian Sun 2025-03-14

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Fight on for buffalo farming

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Namibian Sun 2025-03-14

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