Red Meat Industry Services (Rmis) CEO Dewald Olivier has called for improved inclusion of infectious diseases in the agricultural industry.
This follows a fresh one Expansion of foot and claw disease (FMD) in the local municipality of Moqhaka near Kroonstad, Free State.
Earlier this month, the Ministry of Agriculture announced the successful inclusion of the disease in parts of the Eastern Cape and Limpopo and eliminated disaster management areas that have been in some areas.
Olivier warns that unless the efforts of the inclusion are effectively maintained, the agricultural industry can suffer from additional setbacks.
“We are not going to eradicate foot and mouth disorders in the South African context, and in that respect, in Africa. We have to manage the disease, and I think our management should be better instead of having the focus to try to eradicate it.”
“Extremization is not going to happen with porous boundaries. And unfortunately we have not done enough research into our diseases for the past 15 to 20 years because our diseases have certainly evolved,” Olivier adds.
Podcast | Fully interview with Red Meat Industry Services CEO Dewald Olivier:
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