Restocking complete in Zone 7

Maranyane Ngwanaamotho | Wednesday December 11, 2013 15:52

He said despite logistical challenges in Zone 6 relating to shortage of transport and payment of livestock suppliers, significant progress has been made.

“So far 17,000 cattle and 3,433 small stock have been redistributed. We once more would like to thank farmers for their overwhelming response to our plea to supply restocking animals,” he said.

The ministry still requires more livestock for redistribution.

Molebatsi has said that the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) situation in the country has improved significantly. Cases are reported to be fewer and further apart even in Ngamiland where the disease has found a home.

“The last cases of the disease in the district were reported in September this year. A major problem in Ngamiland is lack of effective livestock movement control, which in addition to impacting on vaccination coverage, also facilitates transmission of the disease. Accessible water in the Okavango Delta and the Lake Ngami does not help the situation either,” he said. 

He said the FMD outbreak in Zone 6 and 7 is now under control. To this end, the World Animal Health Organisation recently declared Zone 6 FMD free without vaccination status.

“My ministry has therefore started engaging our trading partners to start exporting beef from this zone. In order to meet our trading partners market requirement, we are reconstructing the protection zone around Zone 6 and the project is expected to be completed by March 2014,” he said.

Vaccination will continue in Zone 7 until the risk of recurrence of the disease is low, he said. Molebatsi added that their cooperation with Zimbabwe continues through allowing vaccination along their common border, as this will further reduce the risk of disease transmission between the two countries.

They are also cooperating on surveillance of the disease.