Windhoek — THE Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU) has urged all livestock farmers to ensure that correct codes and numbers are put on the ear tags of animals when they leave their farm.

Experts have discovered mistakes on the tags, which poses the risk of Namibia losing its export markets abroad.

"Even though FanMeat has been up and running for a couple of years, it was now found that many ear tags fitted to cattle contain incorrect information," the NAU said on Friday in its weekly newsletter.

"Errors on these ear tags can have serious consequences as Namibia's export status for one relies on the traceability of each and every animal."

A few years ago, the agriculture sector introduced a traceability system for free-range cattle and sheep.

The scheme is called Farm Assured Namibian Meat (FanMeat) and ensures that the highest animal welfare standards are maintained and that the production of meat adheres to the latest standards.

New ear tags for FanMeat animals and other large stock were implemented in February 2006.

Since then, all livestock on farms south of the veterinary cordon fence are individually identified by means of an approved ear tag.

The NAU pointed out that if FanMeat regulations were not accurately followed and adhered to and this was picked up during a routine audit, "Namibia risks having its export status to the EU suspended, as happened to Brazil recently."

The Fanmeat ear tag consists of two parts: a larger tag that is affixed to the front inner part of the animal's ear and a smaller tag affixed to the back of the ear.

These two tags fit into each other when attached to the ear and display the farmer's unique producer code as well as the animal's series number.

If this number is reported incorrectly on the producer's departure register, it could happen that the data on the farmer's general FanMeat register will also be incorrect.

The information carried over to the central FanMeat data register (NamLits) could consequently then also be incorrect and is almost impossible to reconcile.

"The producer must thus ensure that the full ear tag number [unique number and the series number] is correctly indicated on the departure register that accompanies the animals," the NAU explained.

Some of the general errors made include: the ear tag numbers are not correctly entered on the departure register; numbers are switched around, for example 89 in stead of 98; the departure register does not always accompany the cattle load sent to the abattoir; the number of ear tag numbers on the departure register does not correspond with the actual number of animals delivered; or the numbers are written down wrongly in the departure register.