NAU Newsletter | 30 January 2026   Dr Theuns Laubscher  |   [email protected]     Amid the growing fear currently brewing in South Africa around the Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) situation – with that threat uncomfortably close to our borders – I recently received a question about a “nano-silver” product that people are reaching for as a last hope, because everything else seems to fail.   This is an understandable question. But it is precisely in moments like th

The Poultry Producers Association (PPA) wishes to remind all poultry producers that registration with the Livestock and Livestock Products Board of Namibia (LLPBN) is mandatory in terms of the Livestock and Livestock Products Act, 1981 (Act No. 12 of 1981), as amended. In terms of the Act, poultry is classified as livestock, and poultry products fall under controlled livestock products. Any person involved in the production, keeping, processing, selling, or marketing of poult

NAU Newsletter | 30 January 2026 The Livestock and Livestock Products Board (LLPBN) approved the partial subsidisation of the Lumpy Skin Disease vaccine at its Board Meeting in November 2025, with effect from 1 February 2026.   As part of this initiative, the LLPBN has announced a nationwide 15% subsidy programme for Lumpy Skin Disease vaccine for cattle. The subsidy will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis and funding is limited.   Producers must meet the foll

Cattle Namibia is currently in an extended recovery period following drought conditions, with some areas experiencing three consecutive dry years since 2019. This prolonged environmental stress necessitated widespread destocking across the cattle sector. Between January and September 2025, cattle marketing declined sharply. Live exports to South Africa, for example, contracted by approximately 76%, while an estimated 60% of animals traded through auctions were retained for br

With ongoing FMD outbreaks in neighbouring South Africa, there are frequent questions about why cattle in Namibia’s FMD-free zone are not vaccinated as a preventive measure. Namibia’s approach is aimed at protecting its internationally recognised FMD-free status without routine vaccination. This status is critical for access to high-value export markets. Routine vaccination makes it more difficult to prove that animals are truly disease-free, as vaccinated cattle develop anti

NAU Newsletter | 16 January 2026   The Animal Health Declaration is an official declaration that needs to be completed by all livestock farmers every six months. The periods for which declarations are completed are from January to June and July to December of each year. It is compulsory that livestock producers submit the declarations, which must reach the district state veterinary office within 30 days after the end of each reporting period.   Data collected through submissi