Stern control on animal transportation in Tunceli
As animal shipments increase in Çemişgezek district of Tunceli, where both large and small scale livestock farming are extensively practiced, veterinary inspections and road checks continue day and night. Veterinary inspectors affiliated with the Çemişgezek District Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry are maintaining inspections along the transit route of producers heading to pastures in Tunceli's Pülümür, Ovacık, and Nazımiye districts, as well as the plateaus of provinces such as Erzurum, Erzincan, Bayburt, Kars, Sivas, and Tokat. These inspections aim to ensure the validity of veterinary health certificates, prevent the spread of potential animal diseases, control unregistered animal movements, and verify whether animals have been vaccinated.
Veterinary Doctor Şeyda Yıldırım, emphasizing that they do not adhere to standard working hours during their inspections, stated, "We work in Çemişgezek district where small-scale livestock farming is intense. With the arrival of summer and rising temperatures in our district, we are in a period where producers are taking their livestock to pastures for better welfare and nutrition. Additionally, we are in a month where Eid al-Adha (Kurban Bayramı) shipments will occur. During our inspections, we check the welfare of the animals and the suitability of the vehicles used by producers engaged in nomadic animal husbandry. We ensure that they undergo veterinary inspections before being sent to the pastures. Apart from these, we also deal with vaccinations, animal movements, animal diseases, and mandatory reporting diseases related to the district's agriculture. We also conduct identification (tagging) efforts. During this busy period, our road inspections take place throughout the day, with the support of law enforcement agencies."
Yıldırım noted that inspections usually proceed smoothly and routinely as producers comply with regulations. He added, "Producers should ensure they have official veterinary health certificates for transit. They should not exceed the maximum number of animals allowed in their vehicles. Animals should not be transported at excessive speeds or subjected to rough handling. Sick animals should be transported separately and should not be in proximity to healthy animals. During these intense periods, we continue our work tirelessly, even at hours like three, four, or five in the morning, regardless of regular working hours."
Sedat Şahin, a small-scale producer and transporter, expressed his satisfaction with the veterinary inspectors, saying, "We are pleased with all of our veterinary doctors. May Allah bless them all. They are here from 5 in the morning until 5 in the evening. They do not leave us alone. I even see them on the road at 4 or 5 o'clock. Our teams are very good. We thank them all very much.
