South Africa (07): (Kwazulu-Natal) cattle, spread, control, vaccination

Date: Tue 23 Aug 2022
Source: Times LIVE [abridged, edited]
https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2022-08-23-r128m-more-needed-to-fight-latest-outbreak-of-foot-and-mouth-disease/


An estimated ZAR 128m [USD 7 534 425] is needed to control the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease [FMD] that is plaguing the country. This includes the post-recovery vaccination.

The figure was shared by KwaZulu-Natal's MEC for agriculture and rural development Bongi Sithole-Moloi, who said more than ZAR 85m [USD 5 million] had been spent since the [start of the] outbreak.

She said the spread of the disease was being fuelled by the illegal movement of animals, some of which takes place at night.

She made a commitment that her department would conduct awareness campaigns which would include roadblocks aimed at ensuring that cattle are not moved around in the province.

"We will ensure that there are random roadblocks conducted in the affected areas to ensure that communities comply," she stressed.

On 16 Aug [2022], the national Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural dDvelopment Thoko Didiza took a stance to suspend all movement of cattle in the country. This was to halt the continued spread of the disease.

It also means that cattle may not be moved from one property to another for any reason for 21 days. This is reviewable weekly.

Livestock owners and speculators in affected areas are not allowed to sell their animals, due to movement control measures.

Sithole-Moloi said tribal authorities needed to promote the importance of fighting FMD and spreading the word among livestock owners.

She said the impact of the outbreak on the community was far greater because of the negative impact on the economy of the country as a whole, which has a knock-on effect on poor communities.

The outbreak has implicated more than 116 farms, feedlots, and communal areas in KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, North West, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, and Free State.

[Byline: Mfundo Mkhize]

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Date: Mon 22 Aug 2022
Source: SABC News [edited]
https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/55-000-cattle-vaccinated-in-free-state-in-effort-to-combat-foot-and-mouth-disease/


Authorities say 55 000 head of cattle have been vaccinated in the Free State in a bid to curb the spread of foot-and-mouth disease.

This is in addition to last week's Tuesday's [16 Aug 2022] announcement by Agriculture Minister Thoko Didiza of a 21-day suspension of all cattle movement in the country, which is also aimed at halting the spread of the disease.

Following an urgent meeting between Minister Didiza and Premier Sisi Ntombela in Bloemfontein, plans are now underway to set up roadblocks in affected parts of the province to decontaminate vehicles that are used to ferry cattle and feedlot.

The province has outbreaks at 22 farms. They are in Viljoenskroon, Marquard, and Bethlehem. Cattle on the affected farms have been quarantined and vaccinated.

Minister Didiza says, "There will be an immediate setting up of roadblocks around that area of Marquard so that we zoom in and decontaminate every vehicle that passes through Marquard because we may not know whether it is carrying an infection in itself. We also want to urge all farmers to make sure that they clean properly clean the vehicle that they move with animals be it with cattle or feed. So that we try as best as possible to improve our biosecurity. So that other forms of spread don't happen as a result of the vehicles that we move animals or feed which might be contaminated."

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Date: Mon 22 Aug 2022
Source: South Africa's Freight News [abridged, edited]
https://www.freightnews.co.za/article/foot-and-mouth-outbreak-threatens-red-meat-export-growth


Cattle farmers are in dire need of a turnaround strategy to deal with the latest outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), which led to the government banning all movement of impacted livestock this week.

Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Thoko Didiza suspended all movement of cattle on 16 Aug [2022] for an initial period of 21 days, with the option to extend the ban.

The Red Meat Producers Organisation (RPO) said that the announcement would have a "very serious impact" on the red meat value chain.

"However, it must be remembered that a turnaround strategy is needed, which probably became necessary due to the fact that in the last 2 weeks there were 15 new outbreaks, and 2 additional provinces were affected. The measures not only have a serious impact on the commercial sector but impact almost more seriously on the developing sector, as 1.2 million households own livestock and depend on it for income and food security," the RPO said.

"Foot-and-mouth disease is a controlled disease for which the state has responsibility, whether at national, provincial, or local level. The decision announced by the minister is probably a decision to combat the spread of the virus, and therefore has a serious impact on the value chain. This was not a value chain decision," the organisation said.

It added that self-regulation was now "extremely essential," and the sector would cooperate with the national and provincial animal health forums as well as the national and provincial livestock theft-prevention forums.

"The red meat industry will have to provide proof to our trading partners that we are successful in achieving a turnaround strategy, otherwise our trade will be further harmed in terms of exports. It is also clear that we will have to follow a totally new strategy to control the disease," the organisation said.

It added that South Africa would have to reconsider its status as a country without vaccination and there would probably have to be a move to a country with limited vaccination against FMD.

"The implication of this is that South Africa will have to start producing its own vaccines and that the free market will have to play an important role in the production of these vaccines. It is also essential that the laboratory and testing capacity must be expanded . . . the private sector will once again have to play a major role."

FNB Agri-Business senior agricultural economist Paul Makube said that in a previous update the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development had confirmed that there had been 110 incidents in the previous disease zone, comprising 3 events.

The 1st event started in May 2021 in KZN, while the 2nd was in March 2022 in the previously FMD-free zone in Limpopo, which spread to Northern Gauteng in April [2022]. The 3rd outbreak started in March [2022] in North West and has since spread to Gauteng, the Free State, and Mpumalanga.

"This is obviously not good news as it has a negative impact on exports due to FMD being a notifiable disease in terms of the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH, formerly OIE), and importing countries may elect to place a ban on imports as in the case of the People's Republic of China," Makube said.

China earlier announced a ban on the import of all cloven-hoofed animals and their products from South Africa as of 1 Apr [2022].

"China accounted for about 22% of total SA meat exports in 2021, and additionally, its share of SA wool imports is over 70%," Makube added.

He said that although it was a short-term measure, the suspension was still disruptive to the supply and demand dynamics in the country.

"Persistent outbreaks will curtail the country's export drive, which is still a relatively small share of local production. There are huge economic consequences for producers and value chain industries from the potential loss of SA's FMD-free status if the situation is not arrested. The elevation of biosecurity measures, including the use of technology for traceability, is now an imperative for all stakeholders in the livestock value chain," he said.

Prosecution for the illegal movement of cattle will be conducted in terms of the contravention of the Animal Diseases Act, 1984 (Act no 35 of 1984).

[Byline: Lyse Comins]

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