Farmers urged to complete DVS Declaration Forms correctly

Meatco has called on producers to be extra cautious when completing the Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS) declaration form.

The company said in a media statement yesterday it has noted with serious concern that producers continue to complete the DVS declaration form wrong.

To assist producers, the company clarified a few red areas that have become problematic sections on the form, due to the manner in which they are completed.

It said under a ‘Farmer Declaration for Lumpy Skin Disease and Anthrax’, producers must ensure to indicate the correct last vaccination date when the animals were vaccinated and if the animals have not been vaccinated, the producers must indicate ‘Not Vaccinated’. Producers are advised to refrain from writing ‘Not Applicable’ on the form.

“Under point 3 of Annexure A, the last vaccination date indicated on the form should not be less than 14 days after an animal has been vaccinated, since animals must go through the 14-day withdrawal period before delivery to the export abattoir.

“Furthermore, the last vaccination date indicated must also not be older than 12 months. This is in line with the DVS Regulations for Anthrax vaccinations which must be vaccinated yearly,” reads the statement.

In addition, Meatco said a ‘Movement Permit’ is an official document as per DVS regulations, and producers must avoid making mistakes while completing it or scratching through the permit and the DVS declaration form.

“The consequence of completing documents wrong might result in animals being sent back to the farm of origin by DVS officials. This is because the documentation fails to conform to DVS health regulation requirements,” said Meatco.