A Critical Review of Zimbabwe's Animal Health Act

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


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


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


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.


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)


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


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


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].

Food

A Critical Review of Zimbabwe's Animal Health Act