Steenhuisen launches urgent vaccination campaign to combat Foot-and-Mouth disease
Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen has announced a strengthened national response to the ongoing foot-and-mouth disease
Image: File
Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen has announced a strengthened national response to the ongoing foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak, which continues to hit farmers across the country.
South Africa has been battling the disease for several months, with KwaZulu-Natal remaining the epicentre. Steenhuisen said the government has already vaccinated over 931,000 animals and expects to roll out another two million doses by February next year.
“As minister, I want our farmers to know that I see the impact this outbreak is having on their families, their businesses and their communities. I understand their frustration, and I share their determination to end this crisis,” he said.
Steenhuisen also revealed that the government will be rolling out targeted vaccination campaigns in the hardest-hit areas, including Kokstad, Dundee, Estcourt, Winterton, and the Spioenkop Dam region.
"The Department of Agriculture has resolved to implement a comprehensive strategy to vaccinate the entire national herd. This initiative will position us to apply to the World Organisation of Animal Health (WOAH) for recognition of freedom with vaccination status.
“This strategy aims to vaccinate South Africa’s national herd systematically, beginning with the hardest-hit provinces, namely: KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Free State, Mpumalanga and North West, which will submit their livestock numbers, as well as their number of quarantined farms. This plan, however, will rely on a consistent, high-quality vaccine supply".
Wandile Sihlobo, Chief Economist at the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz), said while the national vaccination campaign is a critical step in controlling the outbreak, it is unlikely to immediately ease food price inflation
"The vaccination process will likely be phased, allowing continuous slaughtering at the normal pace. In the medium term, efforts to control the disease also bring some normality to the slaughter process and ease price volatility. I am singling out meat because it has been one product in the food basket that has exerted upward price pressure in the past months"
Steenhuisen also revealed that the government is working closely with industry partners, including the Red Meat Industry Services (RIMS) and the Milk Producers Organisation (MPO), which has purchased 50,000 vaccine doses to support local farmers.
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