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The Citizen
09-06-2025
- Health
- The Citizen
Steenhuisen unpacks department's foot-and-mouth disease interventions
The Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, has undertaken to answer several questions which have been raised about the occurrence of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. The Ministry of Agriculture has received media enquiries about meat safety and interventions from the department to contain existing outbreaks and prevent future outbreaks. FMD is a highly contagious viral infection that impacts cloven-hoofed animals and it can affect some other species. In recent months, outbreaks have occurred in five of the nine provinces in South Africa, with KwaZulu-Natal experiencing the most significant impact. 'We would like to put the facts on the table and ask all citizens to make it their business to obtain knowledge about how to mitigate the spread of this disease. After all, biosecurity is everyone's responsibility,' Steenhuisen emphasised. What is the current intervention by the Department of Agriculture? All infected properties are placed under quarantine; no movement is allowed into, out of, or through these areas or farms. Large areas, where individuals cannot be served with quarantine notices, are declared Disease Management Areas, and the same restrictions apply. They are further vaccinated and marked as vaccinated (with an 'F Brand' on the neck). How many vaccines were bought and at what cost? The department has ordered 901 200 doses of vaccines at a value of over R70 million. This means that over 900 000 animals will be vaccinated in all areas that the department has prioritised. Limpopo and Mpumalanga will also be conducting their routine vaccinations, which are conducted three times a year. Some of the vaccines will go to Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. When and where will vaccination start? Multiple teams will vaccinate areas simultaneously and will not start at a specific place. Vaccination will start as soon as the vaccines are received and cleared. It is anticipated that the department will take receipt of the vaccines late this week and will then start vaccinating in the following week. Should South Africans worry about meat shortages? There is no concern for shortages; despite some feedlots being affected, there are several feedlots that are slaughtering that are not affected. Secondly, FMD does not kill animals, so there is not going to be mass mortalities which will result in fewer animals and therefore a shortage of meat. Is it safe to eat meat infected with FMD? FMD does not affect people, it only affects cloven-hoofed animals, so consumers do not have to be concerned. What has been the response to an outbreak at Karan Beef: The Red Meat Industry Services (RMIS) will activate a centralised operational centre at its headquarters on Monday, 9 June 2025. The centre will be led by a designated RMIS veterinarian and will oversee a team of 13 veterinary professionals, along with a specialist public relations and public affairs agency, forming the FMD Working Group. The FMD Working Group will be mandated to develop and implement a structured, time-bound response to the outbreak, with medium-to long-term goals, including a focus on vaccination among other key areas. – At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
IOL News
08-06-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Red Meat Industry Services activates Operational Centre in response to Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak
Red Meat Industry Services (RMIS) said on Friday that it will activate a centralised Operational Centre (OC) at its headquarters on Monday, 9 June 2025, in response to the Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak. Red Meat Industry Services (RMIS) said on Friday that it will activate a centralised Operational Centre (OC) at its headquarters on Monday in response to the Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak. RMIS said the OC will be led by a designated RMIS veterinarian and will oversee a team of veterinary professionals and industry representatives, along with a specialist public relations and public affairs agency, forming the FMD Working Group. 'The FMD Working Group will be mandated to develop and implement a structured, time-bound response to the outbreak, with medium- to long-term goals, including a focus on vaccination among other key areas.' The primary objective of this plan is to guide RMIS in addressing the current FMD situation in South Africa, with a strong focus on protecting red meat role players to ensure the long-term sustainability and growth of the industry. 'This is critical not only for the red meat sector, but also for South Africa's broader agricultural economy, as the outbreak impacts the entire red meat value chain and poses a serious threat to the dairy industry and other sectors connected to red meat production,' it said. Another key aim is to establish public-private partnerships (PPPs) at various levels to support the understaffed public veterinary sector by leveraging private sector expertise and capacity. RMIS added that the immediate responsibilities of the OC are finalising a three-month response framework to address urgent risks and establish a platform for long-term management: The medium-term plan will include two key components: Expanding and supporting the capacity of veterinary services to enhance disease control. Establishing FMD-free livestock compartments supplying all South African red meat abattoirs. RMIS said that the OC's other responsibilities would include: Coordinating with the Joint Operations Centre (JOC) to align with government and industry stakeholders. Evaluating and enhancing the Government Contingency Plan. The Department has shared its contingency plan with the industry, which the FMD Working Group will review and provide feedback. Initiating a local vaccine production strategy, which includes assessing funding requirements, establishing an implementation timeline, and developing a financing model supported by industry funding. Centralising stakeholder communication through the appointed veterinarian, who will report directly to RMIS CEO Dewald Olivier. Implementing an electronic movement permit system: A basic, structured electronic Farmer Declaration system will be developed, communicated, and enforced. Dewald Olivier, the CEO of RMIS, said this is a defining moment for the red meat industry. 'RMIS was established precisely for a time like this - to provide coordinated leadership, technical expertise, and practical solutions in close collaboration with government and industry partners. Our unified efforts today will shape a more secure, sustainable, and competitive future for the industry,' Olivier said. Last week, Business Report reported that the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) livestock farming community called on the government to declare KZN a disaster area due to the outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). In a joint statement, they called on the government to formally declare FMD a disaster as KZN grapples to contain the spread. 'In 2021, affected areas in the province were declared a Disease Management Area (DMA); the latest resurgence in 2023 has spread beyond this area and necessitated the expansion of the DMA; however, the spread continues outside of these areas.' In response, Dipepeneneng Serage, Deputy Director-General: Agricultural Production, Biosecurity and Natural Resources Management at the Department of Agriculture, said while they understand the seriousness of the FMD situation in KZN and in Gauteng, they don't think declaring a state of emergency is the solution. 'We have declared/gazetted the DMA which is in itself a state of emergency for livestock and farmers. We need farmers to work with the government to adhere to biosecurity regulations. Additionally, to the DMA, we will be issuing directives regarding the movement of animals in SA. BUSINESS REPORT Visit:
