A Critical Review of
Zimbabwe’s Animal Health
ActBy Harrison Manyumwa
MSc Agricultural and Applied Economics
Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension
University of Zimbabwe (2015)
Presentation outline
Introduction
Analytical approach
Burning issues and analysis of gaps
Emerging institutional arrangements
Conclusion
Introduction
Animal Health Act, date of original text, 1 January 1961
Reprinted 2001, as amended by Act No. 22 of 2001
Major changes were in section 28, offenses and penalties
Is an Act to provide for:
the eradication and prevention of the spread of animal pests and diseases in Zimbabwe,
the prevention of the introduction into Zimbabwe of animal pests and diseases and for incidental matters
Introduction: Summary of the Act from FAO legislative database
Definition of animals, pests + diseases subject to the Act (section 3)
Outline of the eradication and prevention of animal pests + diseases (section 5)
Regulation of the import, export and local movement of animals + related products (section 6-8)
Disposal of animals straying into Zimbabwe (section 9)
Introduction: Summary of the Act
Construction and use of "veterinary fixtures“ (section 12-14)
Destruction of wild animals to control pests + diseases (section 15)
Other sections:
powers of authorized persons
Issuance of permits
fencing,
use of land
prescribed offences,
Analytical approach
There is a broad range of issues along the lines of
Uncertainty, transaction costs, property rights
Thus there is need for a structured way of looking at
these issues
Clear analytical approach Robust analytical narrative
Analytical approach
Burning-issue driven analytical approach
Borrowed from the problem-driven governance political
economy (PGPE) analysis framework (see Fritz, et al., 2009)
Four step process:
What are the burning issues related to the Act?
What does the Act say about these issues
What are the gaps?
What are the emerging institutional arrangements?
Analytical approach
Burning issues and analysis of gaps
Broad range of issues identified, e.g.
Straying of animals
Poor health care
Illegal trafficking
Stock theft
These challenges have led to:
Depletion of national herd, loss of markets (e.g. beef
exports)
Linking the burning issues to the Act
We streamlined these issues under three main headings:
1. Resourcing and capacity of public institutions
Fencing, extension
2. Regulatory costs and processes
Animal movement, health + safety standards
3. Institutional coordination
Feed + medicines imports
Resourcing and capacity of public
institutions – construction of fences
Under resourced and incapacitated institutions create uncertainty
Section 16, “construction of fences” – to be funded by Government through monies appropriated by an Act
Private owners may be required to make contribution not exceeding ½ of labor, money or materials (if they’re likely to benefit from infrastructure
However, no Act has appropriated monies for this purpose, as such, limited or no fiscal allocation for this purpose
Resourcing and capacity of public
institutions – construction of fences
Failure to control straying contributes to spread of FMD
as well as running over of beasts
This has seen the strengthening of institutions such as the
ZRP Anti-Stock Theft Unit (ASTU)
“Operation zvipfuyo mumigwagwa kwete” of the ASTU- is promoting erection of fences along major highways
Resourcing and capacity of public
institutions – extension support
Section 21, “power of authorized persons” inclusive of:
DVTS (health), LPD (extension)
Smallholders rely on DVTS, LPD, AGRITEX
DVTS + LPD underfunded
DVTS failing to keep register of brands
Thus farmers cannot obtain brand info from DVTS to register their cattle
Regulatory costs and processes –
animal movement
Section 22, “issuance and production of permits” to control movement of animals
Good provision, but: acquiring movement permits is costly and cumbersome…
Farmer has to collect police and vet personnel (long distances)
Rise in illegal trafficking by corrupt cattle rustlers
Difficult to track them because most cattle not registered
Regulatory costs and processes –
health and safety standards
Health + safety standards important securing local and external markets
Schedule, “powers of the Minister”, provide for registration abattoirs
“…demands of health and safety standards (particularly slaughter conditions) and costly ASF certification among the top regulatory constraints in the pig value chain”
Mutambara, 2013.
Regulatory costs and processes –
health and safety standards
By, 2012 there were about 117 registered abattoirs (down
from 129 in 2009) in Zimbabwe (Sukume & Maleni, 2011).
DVTS annual license fees:
Export-Grade abattoirs - US$500
A-Grade abattoir- US$400
B-Grade abattoir - US$300
C-Grade abattoir - US$200
(If an abattoir is A-Grade and is exporting it pays both fees)
Institutional coordination – feed imports
Lack of coordination = uncertainty
Schedule, “powers of the Minister”, restrict or control under permit the import or export of animals, pests or (any) infectious things
Multiple institutions involved in feed import permit processing:
Department of Livestock and Veterinary Service (DLVS)
Research and Specialist Services Department (DRSS)
Registration process with the Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA) in terms of SI 147 of 2012 with an annual fee of US$500
Institutional coordination – feed imports
Revenues cannot be centralized because of multiple
institutions
Emergence of livestock policy action/lobby groups e.g.:
Livestock policy hub
Livestock and Meat Advisory Council
Institutional coordination – animal
medicines imports
Bureaucratic constraints in obtaining import permits from
DLVS and MCAZ
MCAZ applying human standards on animal health
leading to long processes of approval
Animal Health Industry Committee Zimbabwe (AHICZ)
Emerging institutional arrangements
Gaps, inconsistencies and conflicting interests emerge in the application of the Act.
People and organizations have responded to this information asymmetry by creating institutions (either formally or informally) to address welfare gaps.
The emerging institutional frameworks can be viewed from two main dimensions, i.e.:
the emergence of policy advocacy and lobby groups and,
the emergence or action oriented institutional frameworks
Emerging institutional arrangements Burning issues
Respective clauses in the Act and related legislation
Emerging institutional arrangements
Resourcing and capacity of public institutions:Construction of fencesExtension and support services for smallholders
Regulatory costs and processes:Animal movements permitsHealth and safety requirements
Institutional coordination and overlapping functions:Animal feed importsAnimal medicines imports
Section 16 , construction of fencesSection 21, power of authorized personsSi 35, 2003, registration of animals
Schedule, powers of the Minister, regulation of importsSI 147 of 2012, regulation of imports
Section 22, issuance and production of permitsSchedule, powers of the Minister, regulation of abattoirsSI 167, 2010, animal health regulations
Policy advocacy/lobby groups
Action oriented groups
LMAC, Livestock policy hub, AHICZ
ZRP Anti Stock Theft Unit
Emerging institutional arrangements
Policy advocacy/lobbying
National Livestock Policy Hub
Livestock and Meat Advisory Council (LMAC)
The Animal Health Industry Committee (AHICZ)
Action-oriented groups
ZRP ASTU
Emerging institutional arrangements –
Stories
In 2014, ASTU partnered with the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development and the Department of Veterinary Services to control depletion of the national herd through various efforts such as:
“Operation zvipfuyo mumigwagwa kwete” (which entails among other activities, promoting erection of fences along major highways)
Compelling farmers to report livestock diseases
Compelling farmers to enforce necessary animal health legislation, e.g. quarantine
Promoting branding of animals for clear identification in the case of theft
Emerging institutional arrangements –
Stories
Recently, the AHIC has raised concerns with the MCAZ over continued
illegal imports of unregistered drugs (Sukume & Maleni, 2011).
On Monday 16th December, 2013, the National Livestock Policy Hub
was established. It comprises of membership from the following main
groups:
Relevant Government Ministries and parastatals
Farmer unions and commodity associations
Private sector and other service providers
Educational and professional institutions
Development partners and civic society
Various multi-stakeholder workshops have been successfully held
References
AHICZ, 2012. Animal Health Industry Comittee Zimbabwe. [Online] Available at: http://ahicz.org/constitution[Accessed 14 March 2015].
Chigawo, R., 2014. $1m spent to curb foot and mouth disease. [Online] Available at: http://www.thezimmail.co.zw/2014/09/22/1m-spent-to-curb-foot-and-mouth-disease/[Accessed 13 March 2015].
FACHIG, 2014. Proceedings of the National Symposium on Enhancing the Competitiveness of Livestock Value Chains, Harare: Unpublished.
FAO, n.d. FAO - Legislative Database of the FAO Legal Office. [Online] Available at: http://faolex.fao.org/cgi-bin/faolex.exe?rec_id=016130&database=faolex&search_type=link&table=result&lang=eng&format_name=@ERALL[Accessed 13 March 2015].
Fritz, V., Kaiser, K. & Levy, B., 2009. Problem-Driven Governance and Political Economy Analysis: Good Practice Framework. 1st ed. Washington: The World Bank.
References
Knight-Jonesa, T. & Rushton, J., 2013. The economic impacts of foot and mouth disease – What are they, how big are they and where do they occur?. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 112(3-4), pp. 161-173.
Mutambara, J., 2013. A preliminary review of regulatory constraints affecting pig industry in Zimbabwe. Livestock Research for Rural Development, 25(3).
Sukume, C. & Maleni, D., 2011. AN ASSESSMENT OF CONSTRAINTS TO THE COMPETITIVENESS OF THE BEEF AND DAIRY COMMODITY INDUSTRY GROUPS IN ZIMBABWE: Evidence for Advocacy and Dialogue, Washington DC: DAI.
Sunday News, 2014. Stock theft cases on the decline. [Online] Available at: http://www.sundaynews.co.zw/stock-theft-cases-on-the-decline/[Accessed 11 March 2015].
Zimbabwe Online News, 2014. Police Partners Government to Curb Stock Theft. [Online] Available at: http://www.zimbabweonlinenews.com/police-partners-govt-to-curb-stock-theft/[Accessed 11 March 2015].