FMD outbreak halts livestock auctions across Namibia

The livestock auction industry has come to a halt as auctioneers rush to cancel sales following the confirmation of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in the country.

Acting agriculture, fisheries, water and land reform minister Charles Mubita on Wednesday told the National Assembly that the disease was detected during routine surveillance at a commercial farm in the Karasburg State Veterinary District.

The cancellations started after chief veterinary officer Kenneth Shoombe announced nationwide restrictions.

The government has suspended the movement, trade, slaughter, imports and exports of cattle, sheep, goats and pigs, disrupting livestock auctions across the country.

Shoombe says the directorate of veterinary services has activated the national FMD contingency plan.

About 1 100 head of cattle were expected to go under the hammer at a Blaauwberg Auctioneers CC sale at Otjiwarongo yesterday.

Auctioneer André van Aswegen says preparations were already well advanced when the company was informed on Wednesday evening that the auction could not continue.

“We were really looking forward to that auction. We were sorting animals and the trucks were coming to the auction. We offloaded and sorted them so that we could have the auction today. Last night we were informed by the state that the auctions would be cancelled. We cannot go on,” Van Aswegen tells The Namibian.

He says some cattle had already been unloaded and entered into the auction system.

“Those which we didn’t offload, we just sent them back to the farm,” he says.

He adds that a percentage of the sale was earmarked for a school hostel at Outjo.

Windhoek Livestock Auctioneers also cancelled a sale expected to attract about 500 animals next month.

Consultant Willem Venter says the outbreak will affect businesses and farmers who rely on livestock sales.

“This is going to affect not only the livestock auctions, it’s going to affect the whole of Namibia. Even the one that’s not farming is going to feel the impact of that,” Venter says.

Agra Auctions has cancelled all livestock auctions until 2 October, pending further guidance from the veterinary services.

Karoo-Ochse has also suspended its livestock auctions until 2 October. Its Gobabis auction scheduled for yesterday was among those cancelled.

The cancellations come at a time when livestock auctions had been growing.

Namibia Statistics Agency statistician general Alex Shimuafeni says 110 996 animals were auctioned between April and June this year, up 9.3% from 101 513 during the same period last year.

However, cattle auctions fell by 9.2% to 59 211 animals, while sheep auctions increased from 14 382 to 26 303. Goat auctions rose from 21 922 to 25 482.

LIVESTOCK PULLED FROM SHOWS

The outbreak has also disrupted agricultural shows.

The Gobabis Show, which started yesterday, will continue until Saturday, but all cattle and small-stock activities have been cancelled.

Chairman Danie Opperman says animals already at the show must return to farms.

“Unfortunately, we had to discontinue all the livestock events at the Gobabis Show. All the animals have to go back to the farms,” he said in an interview with The Namibian yesterday.

The Windhoek Agricultural and Livestock Show has also cancelled its livestock programme, which would have featured more than 1 000 animals.

INDUSTRY PLANS DISRUPTED

Organising committee chairperson Harold Smith says just under 500 head of cattle and more than 500 sheep and goats were registered.

Meanwhile, the Namibia Agricultural Union has also postponed its Windhoek Regional Congress, which was scheduled for 9 October.

“With the outbreak of FMD in Namibia, the agricultural sector is currently in a state of upheaval,” union spokesperson Tanja Dahl says.

A new date has not been announced.

Yesterday, The Namibian reported that Namibia is working on a plan to divide its FMD-free livestock area into smaller zones to protect the livestock industry and exports.

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