• Mandate: To provide analytical and diagnostic services to the agricultural industry,  and to ensure the production and/or import of quality and safe food products through adherence to ISO 17025 and  Good Laboratory Practice.
• Main activities: One of its core functions is to provide analytical services in the area of food safety comprising of chemical residue analysis as well as food and water microbiological analysis.The three sections at CVL directly responsible for this food safety testing function are namely: Food Hygiene, Toxicology and Residue Analysis and Biotechnology. The other main activities are general disease diagnostic services through post mortem examinations, histopathological examinations, serological analysis, clinical microbiological analysis and molecular diagnostic methods.
• Competences:The Central Veterinary Laboratory consists of three sub-divisions: Food Science, Diagnostic Services and Biotechnology/research. Food Science Sub-division consists of Food Hygiene and, Toxicology and residue analysis. The Diagnostics Sub-division comprises Clinical Microbiology and animal Reproduction, Pathology, Parasitology and Rabies, Serology and BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy), the Regional Laboratories in Ondangwa, Grootfontein and Gobabis as well as the Research/Experimental farm at Bergvlug. The Sub-division Biotechnology Services is made up of molecular diagnostics for viral and bacterial pathogens with specialization on the area of food safety and animal health. 

• Currently, the total number of staff complement at CVL is 53 of which 27 are Technical staff while 3 are administrative staff and 23 are support staff. The technical staff comprises three different categories; Chief Veterinarians, Veterinarians, Scientific Officers and Veterinary Technicians. The minimum entry qualification requirement for the position of Chief Veterinarians and Veterinarians is a Bachelor of Science Degree in Veterinary Science whilst for Scientific Officers is a Bachelor of Science Degree in relevant discipline and a relevant National diploma for Veterinary Technicians is regarded as a minimum requirement. Below (Table 1) is the summary number of staff and the highest academic qualifications they possess in different discipline at CVL.

Table 1. Available number and qualifications of technical and support staff at Central Veterinary Laboratory.

• Mandate: To provide analytical and diagnostic services to the agricultural industry,  and to ensure the production and/or import of quality and safe food products through adherence to ISO 17025 and  Good Laboratory Practice.
• Main activities: One of its core functions is to provide analytical services in the area of food safety comprising of chemical residue analysis as well as food and water microbiological analysis.The three sections at CVL directly responsible for this food safety testing function are namely: Food Hygiene, Toxicology and Residue Analysis and Biotechnology. The other main activities are general disease diagnostic services through post mortem examinations, histopathological examinations, serological analysis, clinical microbiological analysis and molecular diagnostic methods.
• Competences:The Central Veterinary Laboratory consists of three sub-divisions: Food Science, Diagnostic Services and Biotechnology/research. Food Science Sub-division consists of Food Hygiene and, Toxicology and residue analysis. The Diagnostics Sub-division comprises Clinical Microbiology and animal Reproduction, Pathology, Parasitology and Rabies, Serology and BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy), the Regional Laboratories in Ondangwa, Grootfontein and Gobabis as well as the Research/Experimental farm at Bergvlug. The Sub-division Biotechnology Services is made up of molecular diagnostics for viral and bacterial pathogens with specialization on the area of food safety and animal health. 

• Currently, the total number of staff complement at CVL is 53 of which 27 are Technical staff while 3 are administrative staff and 23 are support staff. The technical staff comprises three different categories; Chief Veterinarians, Veterinarians, Scientific Officers and Veterinary Technicians. The minimum entry qualification requirement for the position of Chief Veterinarians and Veterinarians is a Bachelor of Science Degree in Veterinary Science whilst for Scientific Officers is a Bachelor of Science Degree in relevant discipline and a relevant National diploma for Veterinary Technicians is regarded as a minimum requirement. Below (Table 1) is the summary number of staff and the highest academic qualifications they possess in different discipline at CVL.

Table 1. Available number and qualifications of technical and support staff at Central Veterinary Laboratory.