NCA crush pens need renovation

OSHAKATI – The chief veterinarian for the North-West sub-division in ministry of agriculture, water and land reform, Kennedy Shoombe, said over 2 000 crush pens in the northern communal areas (NCAs) are vandalised and need renovations.

Shoombe made the remark while speaking to NCA farmers and regional councillors during the official visit of the minister of agriculture, water and land reform, Calle Schlettwein, to the Oshana region on Friday.

He also told the farmers that region, with a total of 163 crush pens currently, needs more pens to cut distances between the pens.

He said the movement of people, with their animals, has attributed to the shortage of crush pens across the northern communal areas.

Shoombe noted that the ministry has not secured crush pens for the past five years as a result of financial constraints.

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According to him, Oshana had a livestock population of over 160 000 that has decreased to 71 714 due to the devastating drought experienced in the country the past few years.

The European Development Funds 11 (EDF11) project, Shoombe said, is coming up to cater for crush pens establishment in Namibia in addition to the government’s plan to put up more pens in the NCA once funds are available for such exercise.

Other speakers at the meeting, including Oshana regional councillor for the Ompundja constituency, Adolf Hitler Uunona, said an absence of livestock quarantine facilities in the region has made it difficult to control animal diseases.

A demand for a quarantine camp to be established in his constituency has therefore been made already to the government and an area has been identified.

Omutambomawe and Okongo are the only two quarantine camps serving the NCA. - Nampa