Niël Terblanché
The Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS) within the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform (MAWLR) announced a scheduled service interruption of the Namibia Livestock Identification and Traceability System (NamLITS) from 23 to 27 August.
The acting director of the DVS, Dr. Johannes Shoopala, informed all users in a special notice issued on Monday that the maintenance work will affect several services rendered by the DVS and the Livestock and Livestock Products Board of Namibia (LLPBN).
“This downtime is due to essential maintenance of NamLITS hardware,” he said.
Shoopala added that services such as the issuance of livestock movement permits, NamLITS Online transactions, processing of stock brand related applications, and the sale of ear tags will be affected during the scheduled downtime.
“The DVS and LLPBN urge all parties in the livestock industry to make prior arrangements to ensure their operations remain unaffected during this period,” he said.
According to Shoopala, the technical team responsible for the urgent maintenance work will do everything possible to minimize downtime and ensure that services resume promptly after the maintenance.
NamLITS is a crucial system for Namibia’s livestock industry, providing comprehensive livestock identification and traceability.
The Directorate of Veterinary Services implements it to ensure proper tagging and tracking of all livestock.
NamLITS is essential for maintaining the health and safety of livestock, as well as supporting Namibia’s compliance with international trade regulations.
The system offers numerous functions that streamline livestock management for producers.
These include registering cattle and small stock ear tags, applying for movement permits, tracking livestock movements, and managing herd health status.
Additionally, NamLITS integrates with the Meat Board Online portal, facilitating levy payments and other financial transactions related to livestock management.
The system also plays a vital role in disease control. For instance, during the 2015 outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, NamLITS was instrumental in managing and containing the disease, ensuring that trade could resume quickly and safely.
