The number of outbreaks of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in the northern Limpopo region has climbed to 14, a situation described by the Red Meat Producers’ Organisation (RPO) as “very wor r y i ng”.Government has not lifted its ban on auctions, which effectively brings the industry to a halt, says RPO CEO Gerhard Schutte.“We would like to see FMD confined to the Limpopo area so the auctions can be opened up, but we understand that there is a fine line between opening them up and exercising caution to protect access to overseas markets.”Chairman of the national RPO, Koos van der Ryst, agrees that it’s critical that the industry normalises as soon as possible in order for auctions and livestock shows to continue in at least eight of the nine provinces.“The current situation is untenable. It prohibits normal price-forming mechanisms and has a negative impact on commercial and especially emerging producers. And while Government is putting in the hard yards to help contain the spread of the disease, lack of capacity remains a major challenge, says Schutte.“We accept and understand that as an industry we will have to come to terms with the fact that self-regulation is the answer.”At present the RPO is working with government at animal health and provincial forums, he says, and government has made its intentions clear.The impact on exports, however, is massive. Schutte puts it in the region of R10 billion per annum.“But since the outbreak in January last year the RPO has been trying to get bilateral agreements going. China has opened up again and exports in November were up compared to the previous highest exports in 2015.“The challenge is to keep our trading partners happy.”