AGRICULTURE NEWS - In an attempt to curb the spread of the latest foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak, the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (agriculture department) has called on role players in Limpopo, North West, Gauteng and Mpumalanga to adhere to safety protocols.

Dr Botlhe Modisane, technical spokesperson on FMD at the agriculture department, confirmed that four more cases had been confirmed in feedlots in Limpopo within a 40km radius of the auction facility near Dendron where infected animals were initially traded.

“One or [more] infected cows were brought to that auction, we believe illegally from the controlled zone,” he told Farmer’s Weekly.

The disease was initially confirmed on a farm near Molemole.

Modisane said a flock of 500 sheep at one of the feedlots had also been exposed, and officials would attempt to dispose of the animals according to protocols to limit economic losses and the spread of the disease.

These included aging and chilling the meat for specified periods to prevent further spread of the disease.

FMD did not pose a danger to human health, but was economically damaging due to being highly contagious among cloven-hoofed animals.

Read the full article here on the Caxton publication, Farmer's Weekly.