2015 FMD outbreak was 'ploy'
Farmers in the northern communal areas (NCA) are of the opinion that the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak of 2015 was a political ploy to stop the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) from declaring the NCA as an FMD-free zone. It had not reported a single case for more than 40 years.
The OIE was in the process to declare the NCA, north of the veterinary cordon fence, known as the 'red line', FMD free but this was halted by the outbreak.
A lone buffalo, spotted at the Okongo crush pen on 12 May of that year, appears to have thrown the country back 40 years because the outbreak was declared by the agriculture ministry directly thereafter.
The outbreak cost the government millions. The Namibia National Farmers' Union (NNFU) president Jason Emvula told Namibian Sun they conducted an investigation to find out where the buffalo came from and added, it could only have been Angola.
“We carried out an investigation, even in Angola, but nobody could say they saw a buffalo in their surroundings. There is no way a stray buffalo could have passed through these villages without being noticed and then, be detected in Namibia,” Emvula said.
He said the agricultural ministry must make public where the animal came from.
The head of communications at the OIE Dr Catherine Bertrand-Ferrandis confirmed to Namibian Sun they were in the process to declare the NCA as an FMD-free zone.
The OIE is an intergovernmental organisaiton coordinating, supporting and promoting animal disease control. It is recognised as a reference organisation by the World Trade Organisationwith close to 181 member states, including Namibia.
She told Namibian Sun Namibia was granted the OIE endorsement of its national official control programme for FMD in May 2015.
“This programme focuses on the areas north of the veterinary cordon fence, referred by you as NCAs. The outbreak reported in 2015 likely delayed the expected timeline of the programme,” Bertrand-Ferrandis said.
The red line was created in 1896 a Rinderpest outbreak and police stations where built to control north-south travel of the indigenous population and their livestock.
The agriculture ministry did not comment at the time of going to print, but a local veterinarian told Namibian Sun the red line is used to prevent animal from the north of the cordon fence to mingle with animal on the south. However, he added that “The OIE did not specify how borders between the zones should look like. All they said is that member states must prevent animals from the diseased area from mingling with animals in the 'free' zone. It can be done with a double fence, a forest, river or mountain, or, as in our case, the red line.”
Betrand-Ferrandis said that the NCA still stands a good chance to be declared as a free zone because there have been regular reconfirmation on all the FMD status and control programmes.“Member countries having at least one officially recognised status or an official endorsement of its national control programme, are obliged to reconfirm it during the month of November each year. Failure to comply with these provisions could result in the OIE revoking the given status or endorsement,” she said.
ILENI NANDJATO
The OIE was in the process to declare the NCA, north of the veterinary cordon fence, known as the 'red line', FMD free but this was halted by the outbreak.
A lone buffalo, spotted at the Okongo crush pen on 12 May of that year, appears to have thrown the country back 40 years because the outbreak was declared by the agriculture ministry directly thereafter.
The outbreak cost the government millions. The Namibia National Farmers' Union (NNFU) president Jason Emvula told Namibian Sun they conducted an investigation to find out where the buffalo came from and added, it could only have been Angola.
“We carried out an investigation, even in Angola, but nobody could say they saw a buffalo in their surroundings. There is no way a stray buffalo could have passed through these villages without being noticed and then, be detected in Namibia,” Emvula said.
He said the agricultural ministry must make public where the animal came from.
The head of communications at the OIE Dr Catherine Bertrand-Ferrandis confirmed to Namibian Sun they were in the process to declare the NCA as an FMD-free zone.
The OIE is an intergovernmental organisaiton coordinating, supporting and promoting animal disease control. It is recognised as a reference organisation by the World Trade Organisationwith close to 181 member states, including Namibia.
She told Namibian Sun Namibia was granted the OIE endorsement of its national official control programme for FMD in May 2015.
“This programme focuses on the areas north of the veterinary cordon fence, referred by you as NCAs. The outbreak reported in 2015 likely delayed the expected timeline of the programme,” Bertrand-Ferrandis said.
The red line was created in 1896 a Rinderpest outbreak and police stations where built to control north-south travel of the indigenous population and their livestock.
The agriculture ministry did not comment at the time of going to print, but a local veterinarian told Namibian Sun the red line is used to prevent animal from the north of the cordon fence to mingle with animal on the south. However, he added that “The OIE did not specify how borders between the zones should look like. All they said is that member states must prevent animals from the diseased area from mingling with animals in the 'free' zone. It can be done with a double fence, a forest, river or mountain, or, as in our case, the red line.”
Betrand-Ferrandis said that the NCA still stands a good chance to be declared as a free zone because there have been regular reconfirmation on all the FMD status and control programmes.“Member countries having at least one officially recognised status or an official endorsement of its national control programme, are obliged to reconfirm it during the month of November each year. Failure to comply with these provisions could result in the OIE revoking the given status or endorsement,” she said.
ILENI NANDJATO
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