Farmers urged to prioritise herd immunity and prevention
Goi Geurtze of SWAVET Namibia has urged Namibian farmers to familiarise themselves with the range of animal health products available on the market, saying many producers still rely heavily on outdated farming practices.
Speaking to Agrimonitor at the recent NAMPO Harvest Day, Geurtze said farmers often underestimate the importance of preventative animal healthcare. “People believe in stereotypes. They believe in what their forefathers used before them, but the market is so wide that people are not aware of what is available.”
Geurtze said small, timely interventions could prevent a range of health problems in cattle, particularly during seasonal changes. “Green grass provides vitamin A, and as soon as the grass turns yellow, you lose that vitamin,” he explained.
He said vitamin deficiencies could lead to fertility problems, slower weight gain, weakened immune systems and poor coat condition in livestock.
Geurtze stressed the importance of maintaining strong herd immunity, particularly as Namibia continues efforts to safeguard its foot-and-mouth disease-free status without vaccination.
He warned that farmers who delay preventative treatment often face greater costs later. “You have to vaccinate first. It does not help if you wait until your herd gets sick and then start using antibiotics. We have seen in the past that our vaccine sales have dropped while antibiotic sales have increased, which indicates that farmers are reacting after problems arise instead of acting proactively.”
Geurtze said small-scale farmers often face the greatest difficulties in vaccinating their herds due to limited vaccine availability and the high cost of purchasing large quantities.
He explained that single-strain vaccines are not always available, forcing many farmers to buy multi-strain products such as five-in-one or 10-in-one vaccines. “The problem is that not everyone can afford them because they do not have 150 or 200 animals, so they wait as long as possible for the correct vaccine.”
To address the challenge, SWAVET Namibia has started supplying vaccines in smaller quantities to improve accessibility for smaller producers. “We try to make smaller batches available. We keep five-dose, 50-dose and 100-dose options,” Geurtze said. “The advantage is that if one product is unavailable, it can at least be replaced with another option.”
