Funding needed for FMD livestock fence

Following the green light given for the erection of a livestock fence between Angola and Namibia in an effort to control foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), approval of funding is being awaited before construction can start.

The permanent secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, Percy Misika, says currently there is no border fence between Namibia and Angola, resulting in uncontrolled movement of livestock across the border.

According to him the construction of a livestock fence along the Namibia/ Angola border was approved by the cabinet and was also endorsed during meetings held between Namibia and Angola.

Misika says the Directorate of Veterinary Services is now waiting for a budgetary allocation to start construction of the livestock fence.

“As it is now, it will be difficult to control FMD between Namibia and Angola in the absence of a livestock fence, which is essential for livestock movement control,” he says.

Misika explains that in terms of zoning for FMD control, Namibia has an Infected Zone which includes Zambezi Region and the eastern part of Kavango East Region (Mukwe Constituency), where there are free-roaming wild African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) which are carriers of the FMD virus.

“Hence the mixing during grazing of the wild buffalo and domestic cloven-hooved animals (cattle, sheep, goats and pigs) can lead to transmission of the FMD virus leading to outbreaks of FMD.”

The absence of a livestock fence between Namibia and Angola is another risk factor, because if an outbreak of FMD were to occur in Angola it could easily spread to the northern communal areas of Namibia (NCA) through the uncontrolled movement of livestock across the border.

“This therefore necessitates the urgent need for a livestock fence between the two countries to prevent cross-border movement of livestock.”

Misika said the DVS is currently implementing an FMD and lung sickness - or contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) - strategy in the northern communal areas.

According to him the objective is to eradicate FMD from the Protection Zone, which stretches from Shamangorwa veterinary fence in the Kavango East Region to the Kunene Region. The aim is to eradicate CBPP from the entire NCA from Zambezi to the Kunene Region.

“Construction of the livestock fence between Namibia and Angola is the backbone of the FMD and CBPP Freedom Strategy,” Misika says.

Besides financial constraints, another problem delaying the fence is slow implementation of the Livestock Development Programme, which is geared towards enabling the relocation of Namibian cattle grazing in southern Angola.

He says this component of the FMD and CBPP Freedom Strategy will be implemented by the Ministry of Land Reform through identification of land for grazing and installing requisite infrastructure such as boreholes.

“It will be possible to eradicate FMD from the Protection Zone (which stretches from Shamangorwa veterinary fence in Kavango East Region to Kunene Region) after the successful implementation of the FMD and CBPP Freedom Strategy for the NCA.”

In the Infected Zone, though, it will not be possible to eradicate FMD.

According to Misika the strategy in the Infected Zone is to reduce the frequency of FMD outbreaks through vaccination three times per year.

“There is need for research and development in order to produce FMD vaccines that match virus strains circulating in wild African buffalo populations roaming in the Infected Zone. Thorough processing of meat and meat products by means of canning, cooking and drying after salting needs to be implemented in the Infected Zone to manage FMD risks.”

ELLANIE SMIT