OMUTHIYA: Desmond Cloete, the spokesperson for the Meat Board of Namibia (MBN), is appealing to livestock farmers to update their stock brands and herd details by 31 October 2023. In a conversation with Nampa on Thursday, Cloete elaborated that every livestock producer in Namibia is mandated by law to register with MBN in order to acquire a producer number.

He said, “This producer number is essentially a permit provided by us, allowing producers to participate in the formal market. It lets them present their cattle at local events like auctions or expos.”

The producer number isn’t just an identifier but also an instrument for traceability. It aids in tracking the movement of cattle, determining their origin and destination. Beyond local transactions, the producer number also facilitates the import and export of livestock.

Cloete warned of the repercussions of neglecting to renew the producer number: “If not updated timely, the system might either suspend, deactivate, or even reassign the number to someone else.” He also mentioned that all livestock producers with an official stock brand are subjected to this, and the necessary forms for the update can be sourced either from the MBN website or any State Veterinary offices throughout the country.

Since the campaign’s inception on 28 June 2023, Cloete has noticed an impressive turnout, with hundreds of livestock producers updating their records daily. However, he stressed the urgency for all farmers to comply before the impending 31 October 2023 deadline. In terms of utility, he described the producer number as a computer-generated code that appears both on a card and a certificate, establishing the holder’s ownership of the livestock. “The card is conveniently sized to fit in one’s wallet,” Cloete added.

Details of this announcement were shared by The Namibian News Agency.