Research to determine reducing CBT cost

Research is being conducted to determine how to reduce the cost of the implementation of Commodity-Based Trade (CBT) in the Zambezi Region.Dr Freddy Kambongo Samuntu from the faculty of veterinary science at the University of Pretoria is working on the project titled ‘Establishing equivalence of two vaccination protocols as part of CBT in the Zambezi Region’.This study is fully funded by the Meat Board of Namibia.Samuntu explained that, traditionally, markets require beef to originate from areas free from trade-sensitive animal diseases, whereas CBT can enable countries to export from areas not free of these diseases. According to him, CBT focuses on the manner in which the beef is produced and rendered in terms of animal disease control, instead of where the product is produced. The overall aim of the study is to evaluate whether the vaccination of cattle for the first time when entering a quarantine facility before slaughter is equal to the current foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccination campaigns, he said.To prove equality, blood samples will be collected from research cattle subjected to laboratory analysis to determine levels of FMD antibodies at different points in time. The research intends to prove that cattle vaccinated at a quarantine facility for the first time have a higher level of antibodies than cattle vaccinated in the field at the time of slaughter. Policy changes“Proving this theory will facilitate the formulation of a dossier to help bring in policy changes to CBT, which will be beneficial to government and especially northern communal farmers,” Samuntu said.He added that the current FMD control campaign has been constructed on the values of early recognition, animal movement control and planned mass vaccination, especially in high-risk areas such as protection and infected zones. The research will be carried out on cattle in Zambezi, in collaboration with the Directory of Veterinary Services (DVS) and Meatco. “CBT is the preferred solution for trade in meat and meat products from geographic areas which are unable to eliminate FMD.”The CBT protocol was approved by DVS in 2019 and was initiated to aid farmers north of the veterinary cordon fence (VCF), he said.Its primary purpose is to facilitate safe trade from geographic areas struggling with FMD. “The meat industry has the potential to greatly benefit from CBT, given the number and supply of livestock north of the VCF.”SuccessThe researcher said the project’s success may bring wider acceptability and assurances of CBT products regionally as well as a reduction in costs regarding cattle vaccination against FMD in affected regions. “The cost of procuring and administering the FMD vaccine to animals in the affected regions are a great financial and economic burden to DVS and the government.”Most vaccinated cattle end up not being presented to the abattoirs for beef exports, he said. As a result, there is no cost-benefit to the livestock and beef value chain in terms of funds spent on mandatory vaccination campaigns.

Research to determine reducing CBT cost

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Namibian Sun 2025-12-22

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Research to determine reducing CBT cost

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Namibian Sun 2025-12-22

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