AGRICULTURAL NEWS - Just as National Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen finally gazetted a long-awaited national foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccination scheme this week, a new case surfaced in the Garden Route, the first in weeks.
George state vet Dr Leana Janse van Rensburg said not much has changed with the new scheme. "The only new aspect is farmers who are now allowed to vaccinate their animals, but they must be trained and overseen by a private veterinarian or animal health technician registered with the South African Veterinary Council.
"FMD vaccine supply will still be acquired by the government and distributed through its approved procurement channels.
"According to the scheme, a committee that oversees the whole process has to be appointed. Once this is done and standard operating procedures are put in place, we will see how it will roll out on the ground."
Previously, anger in the farming community against Steenhuisen about the state's handling of the FMD outbreak had grown after he had missed the initial court-ordered deadline of 17 April, as well as his own public undertaking to gazette the vaccination scheme by 24 April. Last week, the Pretoria High Court approved an extension to 5 May to enable more time for the publication of the scheme.
In a media statement on 28 April, Sakeliga said that, together with the South African Agri Initiative (Saai) and Free State Agriculture, it would proceed to prepare for the court hearing on the private importation of approved vaccines on 11 May.
"The minister's continued fumbling with a voluntary Section 10 scheme is no answer to the relief sought. Our position remains that there is no impediment in law to privately administering lawfully obtained FMD vaccines. Our litigation seeks to remove the unlawful impediments maintained by the minister, as well as to prevent unlawful government interference with private importation of approved vaccines," the statement read.
One new FMD case after period of stability
The foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) situation in the Garden Route has been stable over the past few weeks.
No new cases had been reported, until a new case was confirmed on 29 April on a farm between De Rust and Oudtshoorn last week.
In a joint statement with the Red Meat Producers' Organisation (RPO) on Monday 4 May, Agri Western Cape (AWC) said this case was identified during a routine inspection ahead of planned participation in an auction.
Two animals out of a beef herd of 59 cattle showed small lesions on their mouths. No animals were taken to the auction after the positive test results were received on 29 April. The AWC said the farm had had limited animal movement before.
According to the latest update released by the Garden Route District Municipality on 28 April, 25 tests for FMD returned negative, and one site's test is pending.
Altogether 286 farms in the Garden Route have been inspected for FMD and all quarantined farms have been vaccinated.
• Number of farms vaccinated: 234 (increased by 22)
• FMD vaccines administered to date: 51 3645 (increased by 5 290), which represents 42% of cattle.
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