“Undertake research and development for the provision of advice and animal health services to improve livestock production for subsistence and commercial producers”
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The Animal Health & Regulatory Section of the Animal Production & Health Division (APHD, also known as the Livestock Division) is responsible for the provision of qual-ity veterinary services to farmers and their livestock, as well as the regulation and devel-opment of the meat industry.
Our team of experienced paraveterinarians and veterinarians is ready to respond to any health concern regarding your livestock. All you need to do is call our team on 21052 (Upolu) or 51050 (Savaii) and request assistance.
Our hygienic slaughter and meat inspection team are also available should you have a cattlebeast you wish to slaughter for sale to the shops. They use the Mobile Slaughter Unit to make sure your animal is slaughtered humanely and hygienically. This initiative is part of a move towards compliance with the Slaughter and Meat Supply Act 2015, and will be complemented by retailer and farmer training and workshops.
Charge for the hygienic slaughter, inspection, dressing and delivery of carcass to the retailer
$50/animal
Base charge for any health case requiring a visit to your farm. Includes examination, diagnosis, treatment and any re-visits required
$10/case
Surgical removal of testicles of male cattle or pigs under 3 months of age
$50/animal
Surgical removal of testicles of male cattle or pigs over 3 months of age. Assessment needed for larger bulls, as they will require full anaes-thesia and surgery.
$10/animal
An injection or medicine given by mouth given to treat a worm problem in each animal.
$1/animal
Charged per animal for the sedation of diffi-cult animals by tranquilizer gun. Is only oper-ated by the Animal Health team, and not available for hire by farmers due to the dan-gerous nature of the drug. Can not be used to tranquilize animals for slaughter.
$50/animal
Surgical, painless castration under full anaesthesia, with extra measures taken to prevent debilitating infection and pain. A painless procedure for the horse with quick recovery, less stress for you! Includes tetanus anti-toxin administration.
$65/animal
Prevention for tetanus following injuries. Tetanus is an un-treatable, fatal disease following deep injuries common in horses. Annual booster following 2 initial shots
$22.50/animal
Oral dewormer for horses administered by our team or you can buy it and administer it yourself.
$28/animal
Cattle muster program which includes ear tagging, castration, drenching, de-horning, health checks, formulate record keeping systems and Pasture production assessment. (Farmers to provide ear tags and drench at own expense)
$150
$100
Movement of livestock from one farm location to another. For Inter-island transfers, terms and conditions applies.
$150 / trip
$150 / trip
When it comes to farming, incorporating good animal welfare practices isn’t just about caring for the
animals’ wellbeing; it can actually be a cost-effective way of improving a business. Depending on the
implementation, it can help improve productivity, reduce costs and prevent losses, helping farmers
to provide a secure food supply and income for themselves, their families and the community.
Good animal welfare practices lead to healthy and happy animals, and a healthy and happy animal
produces more eggs/offspring as well as milk and meat, which to a farmer equates to financial
income. Good health management reduces disease risks to other animals and humans, reducing
animal losses. Likewise, good animal handling improves growth rates, while maintaining high
standards of transport and slaughter can have many direct economic and market benefits.
Using the case study of beef production in Columbia, this article shows that rather than being a drain
on potential profits, being animal welfare conscious can actually be beneficial to both farmers and
their animals.