Live exports allowed

The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry has been flooded with applications for the exportation of breeding animals to other countries, the agriculture minister, Hon. John Mutorwa, told the National Assembly last week, adding “the ministry has therefore taken a principle policy decision, during 2010, to strictly control the exportation of breeding animals to other countries in the SADC region.” “The Livestock Improvement Act, (25 of 1977), as amended prohibits any person to import or export any animal unless so authorized in writing by the Registrar of Livestock Improvement, in the person of Mr Eric Petrus, in the Directorate of Extension and Engineering Services (DEES) of the ministry,” said the minister. Mutorwa said this decision was taken to protect the livestock industry from collapse, to prevent a repeat of what happened in the ostrich industry. But as a result of the drought, the minister said “the [ministry] has a few months ago, publicly announced that it has temporarily lifted the export control measures and opened up the exportation of an approved number of breeding animals, to foreign markets, upon a acquisition of legal permits, to reduce pressure on the land and further to reduce livestock losses. These measures will be revised by the Registrar of Livestock Improvement, when the drought situation normalises. The temporary lifting of the export measures are thus strictly speaking, applicable during the duration of the current prevailing declared Drought Emergency situation in our country.” “The process of issuing livestock permits has thus also been decentralized and the regions are issuing the permits on their own, but under the strict supervision of the Registrar and the Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS). The office of the registrar conducts monthly inspections to the borders and regional offices entrusted to temporarily issue the livestock improvement permits, in order to monitor and check that the paperwork is correctly and properly done,” he said.