New foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) infections in Mpumalanga have been linked to cattle bought from auctions whose disease status was not verified, prompting the province’s agriculture department to urge farmers to check the health status of animals before buying or transporting them.
By Montsho Matlala
The Mpumalanga Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs (MP DARDLEA) reminds farmers of key precautions when transporting or translocating animals for slaughter or trading:
- The origin and destination should have the same FMD or other controlled disease status.
- Direct slaughter to the abattoir from quarantined farms should be under veterinary permit.
- Animals vaccinated in line with requirements may be moved.
- Farmers should be careful about where they buy their animals. They should contact their nearest veterinary officials for advice so they do not bring infected animals to their farms.
Also read: ‘4 million FMD vaccines landing next week’ – Aucamp
Weekly inspections along Kruger National Park
Farmers along the Kruger National Park border must present their livestock for weekly inspection at dip tanks to guard against infection from the park’s buffalo population, which carries FMD.
The warnings come as the province’s vaccination campaign passes a significant milestone, with 699 682 animals vaccinated since the campaign was launched four months ago. The target is 80% of the 1.9 million livestock population – about 1.5 million animals – by December or early next year, based on ministerial task team (MTT) figures. Some 33 222 cattle have been culled to curb the virus’s spread. The vaccination campaign will roll out to other animals, such as goats and pigs, once they have been assessed as high risk.
While FMD cases are gradually declining, veterinary services remain on high alert in Thaba Chweu, Victor Khanye and Emalahleni district municipalities. Some infections in these areas were caused by cattle bought from auctions whose status was not verified by farmers.
As of 15 July, 165 000 doses of vaccines were available, says Zanele Shabangu, spokesperson for MP DARDLEA. No municipality should be left out and farmers are urged to continue to present their livestock for vaccination or call their agricultural extension officers for assistance.
Also read: Aucamp’s out-of-court settlement opens door for direct import of FMD vaccines
Coordinated approach needed
David Mthombeni, provincial chairperson of the African Farmers’ Association of South Africa (AFASA) in Mpumalanga, welcomes the recent out-of-court settlement reached between Willie Aucamp, Minister of Agriculture, and three agricultural bodies – the Southern African Agri Initiative (SAAI), Sakeliga and Free State Agriculture. Under the agreement, willing farmers can now procure and administer FMD vaccines under government supervision.
Mthombeni says the agreement complements government’s vaccination campaign rather than competing with it, and is a joint effort to protect the livestock industry.
Also read:
Dip-tank challenges tackled in KZN FMD fight
Free State introduces strict FMD biosecurity rules for IEC voter registration on farms
Nip vaccine scammers in the bud before it’s too late
New online system lets farmers apply to vaccinate their own livestock against FMD
African Farming
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