These warning lights flashed last week when the meat industry held emergency meetings with the Directorate of Veterinary Services to be briefed on the impact of FMD in the Ohangwena region. It is inevitable that this new outbreak results in a total ban on animal movements to and from as well as inside the NCA. The result is that no slaughtering will take place in the NCA for a much longer period than anticipated. Meatco was planning to open the Oshakati abattoir by end of June but due to these developments, this will no longer be the case, Meatco communication officer Thokozile Mdlalose yesterday confirmed exclusively to New Era.
He says Meatco, as sole slaughterer of animals n the NCA, is in continued consultation with the Department of Veterinary Services within the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry in order to map out future strategies in terms of marketing animals in the NCA.
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