Farmers applaud government’s FMD response efforts

Local farmers, especially those in the Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD)-hit Karasburg veterinary district and wider //Kharas region, have applauded government’s containment and response efforts through the Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS).

At a recent information session held at Karasburg, farmers expressed their appreciation for the DVS and agriculture ministry’s determined boots-on-the-ground containment operations.

Officials and animal health experts from the DVS used the engagement to urge the agricultural community to stand in unwavering solidarity and highlighted that unified compliance and active cooperation are essential to confront the outbreak and shield Namibia’s critical livestock industry.

The farmers welcomed the direct line of communication by the authorities, with many noting that it offered an invaluable platform to receive verified updates, clear up uncertainties regarding the virus, and engage directly with state veterinary officials.

The gathering underscored that open dialogue, continuous strategic collaboration, and access to accurate information remain the foundation of the joint response between the government, livestock producers, and agricultural stakeholders to bring the outbreak under control and preserve national food security.

Shielding southern border

Meanwhile, deputy agriculture minister Ruthy Masake has undertaken a trip down south to inspect firsthand the construction of the veterinary cordon fence construction at various site points.

As emergency containment measures intensify across the ||Kharas region, Masake conducted an extensive on-site oversight inspection of the critical biosecurity infrastructure being built at Houmsriver, located close to the Sandfontein Nature Reserve and the Orange River.

The aim of the veterinary cordon fence is to strictly limit uncontrolled animal movements and reinforce structural disease-control barriers.

The technical specifications of the high-security barrier include two parallel lines of fencing erected exactly 10 metres apart, with the primary barrier set to be a 2.8-metre-high, heavily reinforced game-proof
fence.

The secondary barrier will be 1.3-metre-high and will boast a robust stock-proof fence. During her regional field mission, Masake held briefing sessions with the structural engineering and construction management teams to audit logistic supply lines and inspect the primary storage facilities holding building materials.

She inspected a 15-kilometre stretch of the corridor where heavy machinery has successfully completed land-clearing protocols, paving the way for active fencepost anchoring and wire stringing.

The ministerial delegation subsequently travelled to a secondary construction site at Haakiesdoring, where teams are currently carrying out clearing operations through dense terrain.

To wrap up the oversight tour, Masake and her technical team inspected several stationary veterinary roadblocks and biosecurity checkpoints situated across the region to directly evaluate the operational efficiency, vehicle disinfection protocols, and livestock movement restrictions implemented to stop the spread of the
virus.

To date, Namibia has recorded 131 FMD cases across 18 infected farms in the
//Kharas region, while the Zambezi region the country has recorded over 1,300 cattle across 18 crush pens with more than 50,000 cattle vaccinated.

– [email protected]

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