GEORGE NEWS - The chairperson of the Outeniqua Farmers’ Association, Bossie Terblanche, says a fairly large group of volunteers is ready to assist the George state veterinarian’s office with logistics as more foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccines become available.
Terblanche has taken the initiative to find volunteers and has now formally submitted an offer of assistance to the George state vet’s office. “Agri Western Cape is also following up on the matter with the Western Cape Department of Agriculture. If they need people, they must just say. We are ready,” he said.
The volunteers include retired farmers who have settled in the area from other parts of the country, agriculture students from the Nelson Mandela University’s George Campus, former agricultural students now living in George and Sedgefield, and even local ministers.
Assistance could range from manning telephones to helping with animal identification, vaccinations and blood sampling, should the state veterinary office face staff shortages. Administrative sign-off is needed before volunteers can be involved.
Terblanche is also raising sponsorship for ear tags, as these must be available for identification when vaccines are administered. The tags will be needed for communal cattle herds and some farms.
Bossie Terblanche. Photo: Alida de Beer
Vehicle control points
The head of Garden Route Disaster Management, Gerhard Otto, said nine vehicle control points are operating around the Hartenbos quarantine area, with provincial and traffic officials also patrolling the N2 and major routes to check for animal transporting permits and documents.
He spoke at a media briefing at the joint operations centre (JOC) at the Garden Route District Municipality on Monday 16 February.
He said there was a request from the Western Cape Agriculture Department to put up disinfection points outside the 10km quarantine zone, but this can only be done once a protocol is established.
There have also been requests to close off some roads inside the quarantine area, however, Otto said a process needs to be followed if the request has merits, but currently no legal closing of roads can be enforced.
The JOC has also requested a protocol to be developed for carcass disposal on and off farms.
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