The Animal Identification and Traceability Act has been enacted, setting up the Animal Identification and Traceability Unit and improving the control of animal-borne diseases.

The government have initiated the implementation of activities outlined in the 2023 budget.

In the 2024 budget, the government committed to reducing livestock losses to disease by establishing regional veterinary laboratories in Chipata, Choma, Isoka, Kasama, Mongu, Ndola, and Solwezi, along with rehabilitating the Central Veterinary Research Institute.

The government has already commenced the implementation of a livestock tracing and identification system, piloted in Central, Lusaka, Northwestern, Southern, and Western Provinces. This system allows people to search for and register animals, with 68,518 livestock farmers and 411,108 cattle signed up. The goal by December 2024 is to reach 5 million registrations, crucial for trade, disease control, and theft prevention.

A community-based livestock breeding scheme has been initiated to support farmers with high pedigree breeding stock. As of now, 225,000 livestock have been distributed to 36,000 households across the nation.

The livestock field over-sowing initiative is also underway to improve livestock nutrition. By June 2023, over 19,000 hectares of low-quality rangeland out of a 30,000-hectare target had been successfully over-sown, ensuring better pasture and nutrition for livestock year-round.

Construction on the Solwezi lab commenced in February 2024 and is expected to finish by June.

K3.4 million in lab equipment has been procured and distributed to regional labs in Choma, Mongu, and Solwezi.

The District Health Information System (DHSI) has been scaled up to 23 districts in Central, Northern, and Western Provinces, enhancing the Ministry of Agriculture’s capacity to identify and respond to disease outbreaks.