OMUTHIYA: Meat Board of Namibia (MBN) spokesperson Desmond Cloete is urging livestock farmers to update their stock brands and herd details before the end of October 2023.
Cloete in an interview with Nampa on Thursday said every livestock producer in Namibia is required to register with MBN by law to get a producer number.
“This producer number is their ticket that they get from us to partake in the formal market, which means they can take their cattle to a local auction or expo,” said Cloete.
He added that the producer number is a part of the traceability, to get hold of the cattle intake and to trace where cattle are coming from and where they are going.
Cloete also said that you can import and export livestock using the producer number.
“The consequences of not reregistering your producer number means that it will become inactive and you might not partake in the formal market,” Cloete said.
He added that if you do not update your producer number now, the system will suspend or deactivate it or give it to someone else after some time.
“This applies to all livestock producers with a registered stock brand and the forms can be obtained on the MBN website or at all State Veterinary offices countrywide,” said Cloete.
He is overwhelmed by hundreds of livestock producers that are recorded per day but he wants every farmer to update their producer number before the due date.
He said this campaign end is approaching fast as it was first launched on 28 June 2023 and runs until 31 October 2023.
Cloete described a producer number as a number that is generated by their computer system and it appears on the card and the certificate that makes you the rightful owners of the livestock.
“The card is a simple one you can carry around in your wallet,” said Cloete.
Source: The Namibia Press Agency