Chinese visit Meatco
The deputy minister of agriculture in China, Qu Dongyu, recently led a delegation of officials from his ministry including the Chinese ambassador to Namibia, Zhang Yiming, on a tour of Meatco.
Earlier in the day, the delegation met with agriculture minister John Mutorwa to discuss matters on Chinese-Namibian agricultural cooperation.
Namibia in 2016 became one of the first countries to be approved for the export of beef to China. However it was short-lived when only two months after the agreement, there was an outbreak of lumpy skin disease in Namibia.
According to the agreement signed between the two governments, once any disease – either skin disease or foot-and-mouth – breaks out, beef exports must be terminated for at least one year.
From 2016 to the first half of 2017, the country has seen lumpy skin disease outbreaks in the FMD-free zone of Namibia, notably in Otjozondjupa and Kunene, south of the veterinary cordon fence, and Omaheke.
However, these outbreaks had been contained through vaccinations, and declared over in May 2017.
Late last year Namibia and China made commitments to remove the lumpy skin disease condition in their old agreement, which blocks the export of beef to China.
ELLANIE SMIT
Earlier in the day, the delegation met with agriculture minister John Mutorwa to discuss matters on Chinese-Namibian agricultural cooperation.
Namibia in 2016 became one of the first countries to be approved for the export of beef to China. However it was short-lived when only two months after the agreement, there was an outbreak of lumpy skin disease in Namibia.
According to the agreement signed between the two governments, once any disease – either skin disease or foot-and-mouth – breaks out, beef exports must be terminated for at least one year.
From 2016 to the first half of 2017, the country has seen lumpy skin disease outbreaks in the FMD-free zone of Namibia, notably in Otjozondjupa and Kunene, south of the veterinary cordon fence, and Omaheke.
However, these outbreaks had been contained through vaccinations, and declared over in May 2017.
Late last year Namibia and China made commitments to remove the lumpy skin disease condition in their old agreement, which blocks the export of beef to China.
ELLANIE SMIT
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