The reaction of the authorities comes after news published by the media and social networks reporting the death of the animals from an unidentified disease.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, the first batch of 1167 animals arrived in Angola in March and was installed in a quarantine centre in the Agro-Quiminha Complex, in the province of Luanda, in an area of 140 hectares, for the observation and tracing of diseases, and so far 4351 head of cattle have arrived in the country for the first phase of the process.
These cattle will serve to implement the Agricultural Development Program of the Camabatela Plateau, which comprises the converging areas of the provinces of Kwanza Norte (municipalities of Ambaca and Samba Cajú) and Uíje (municipalities of Negaje, Puri, Uíje, Alto Cawale, Cangola, Damba, Bungo and Mucaba).
Bovine animals were observed at Quiminha by technicians from the Institute of Veterinary Services and the Veterinary Research Institute, and several interventions were carried out on the animals, including blood and faeces samples to screen for diseases such as haemoparasitosis and endoparasitosis, as well as other laboratory tests.
In a press release, the Ministry states that the animals have already been delivered to the beneficiaries of the agricultural programme being implemented in the Camabatela Plateau 2050.
However, 27 died during transport and 358 in the recipient farms, due to "deficiencies in infrastructure", the ministry said without explaining the cause of death, pointing out that the situation is being corrected, "in order to create conditions for future receipts.
The authorities also admit that some diseases have begun to appear in the quarantine centre, especially in the last lots, which required laboratory confirmation analyses.
The samples (228) were sent to Namibia and 57 tested positive for contagious bovine pneumonia and the Angolan authorities have already taken action.
In the communiqué, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries reports that an Angolan technical team is being prepared to travel to Chad shortly and "with their counterparts in the field to find the best technical solutions, so that this task, decided between the two states, continues in the best way for the benefit of their respective countries and peoples.
