With an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) confirmed last week on a farm in Humansdorp, the Eastern Cape has become the fourth province in the country affected by the viral disease affecting cloven-hooved animals (cattle, sheep and goats).
Roelie van Reenen, supply chain executive at Beefmaster Group, a leading specialist supplier of beef products to South Africa and global markets, blamed the industry’s lack of adequate preventative measures and biosecurity on the continued spread of the disease, which has affected seven provinces. Active infections are currently present in four provinces.
It is believed the initial outbreak in Limpopo in 2019 that cost South Africa its FMD-free status, occurred because infected animals were shipped to auctions outside the FMD disease control area. The unauthorised movement of cattle is also believed to have played a role in the spread of the disease to KwaZulu Natal, North West, Mpumalanga and the Free State.
Cattle in Humansdorp roam the streets freely, and Algoa FM reports that the Kouga Municipality has instituted periodic road closures between Humansdorp and St Francis Bay to control the movement of cattle and prevent the further spread of the disease. Van Reenen remarked a general lack of biosecurity measures in the Eastern Cape.
“FMD continues to be a threat. This is due to several factors, including the movement of animals from FMD Control Zones or hotspots to other areas, a breaking of the rules and regulations, insufficient vaccination coverage, and a lack of awareness, amongst others,” said Van Reenen.
Although strict regulations are in place to control the movement of cattle, the government lacks capacity to enforce these regulations, which means the onus to contain the spread remains largely upon the private sector.
Van Reenen called on all players in the value chain to be vigilant in the interests of the entire industry.
“It is no longer safe to rely on relationships or history and to say ‘I know where my cattle come from because I’ve been buying from this place for many years’. No one is safe from FMD and the only way we are going to tackle it is if we are serious and accept that we need strict measures in place.”
These measures include limiting the movement of cattle, and to insist on veterinary inspections and sign-off when buying cattle. Buyers must also be sure they know exactly where the cattle came from.
