Farmers ‘on the edge' over crippling foot and mouth disease

The most affected provinces were KZN, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and Eastern Cape.
Livestock farmers warn they may soon go out of business if the government does not support those affected by the preventative measures for foot and mouth disease (FMD).
But the agriculture department blamed farmers for not adhering to the preventive measures. Hennie de Wet, a farmer based in Nquthu near Dundee, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), said the FMD preventative measures, introduced during the FMD outbreak in 2021, include the prohibition of slaughtering and transporting livestock.
Affected provinces
The most affected provinces were KZN, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and Eastern Cape. Yesterday, De Wet spoke of farmers' frustration.
'Every time a farmer wants to sell or slaughter cattle, they need to go through a long assessment process,' he said.
'There is a backlog for the assessment process. It is also expensive and can cost more than R21 000. It is paid for by the farmer without any state assistance.'
ALSO READ: Eastern Cape farms in quarantine after outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease
Transport ban
He said the government could lift the transport ban and related measures because the FMD strain in the country was not dangerous.
'One member of parliament asked how many people or livestock had been killed by the disease, and there was none,' said De Wet.
He said farmers illegally transported animals during the night and sold them in other provinces. He said the situation had forced him to sell his herd of 700 cattle.
'After realising that the situation was getting out of control, I decided to sell my cattle,' he said. 'It was lucky that I found somebody to buy the cattle. With the restrictions in place, farmers are struggling to access the market.
'There are farmers I know who are failing to pay employees.' Dr Frikkie Maré, chief executive officer of the Red Meat Producers Organisation, said FMD was a state-controlled disease, and the industry can only make recommendations to the government.
'The government must realise that its responsibility does not end with disease control, but also extends to the businesses and individuals affected by the measures.'
ALSO READ: Foot-and-mouth hits red meat
Stock losses
Asked how much had been lost since the transport restriction was implemented, Maré said it was a huge amount. TLU SA, which represents farmers, called on the government to implement a programme to help affected farmers keep operating.
TLU SA general manager Bennie van Zyl said the prolonged restrictions on the movement of livestock threatened to bring farming operations to a halt.
He said producers at the grassroots level are in a dire situation: 'They cannot take their animals to auctions, feedlots or abattoirs, which directly impacts their cash flow needed for essentials.
'Producers are left without any access to markets, while no alternative plans have been implemented. We are economically destroying farmers.' He said the government has failed to fulfil its legally mandated responsibilities.
Livestock movement
An example of this was the absence of roadblocks to monitor livestock movement in affected areas. 'This failure shifts the burden to agriculture, as farmers and organisations are now forced to monitor movement themselves through private camera systems,' said Van Zyl.
'These systems have been established and are being monitored without state contribution. 'The agricultural sector is expected to manage them and bear responsibility for a duty that legally rests with the authorities.'
Zyl said the two organisations had taken their concerns to Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen, yet nothing had been done to minimise the impact of the restrictions. He added the organisations had appealed to the government to implement a disaster management programme to enable producers to continue farming operations, but to no avail.
'The state must act urgently to protect the sustainability of farming, especially where it concerns food production and job security,' he said.
Veterinary services
Dipepeneneng Serage, of the national department of agriculture, said animal production and veterinary services would assist farmers with skills and knowledge on best farming practices and that farmers who qualify for government funding are financially assisted.
Serage blamed farmers for not adhering to the preventative measures.
'Viral diseases do not happen by accident, but are brought by vectors. FMD is a viral disease and can only be transmitted by humans,' he said.
'If farmers and workers adhered to biosecurity measures, there would be less FMD outbreaks'.
ALSO READ: Why beef producers are still optimistic about 2025, despite foot-and-mouth disease warning

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