AGRICULTURAL NEWS - The Western Cape has received 50 000 more food-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine doses over the weekend.

Premier Alan Winde has welcomed the latest batch and said efforts to combat FMD continue to make strong progress. “This latest shipment will further bolster our drive to vaccinate the province’s entire herd and is critical in protecting our economy and jobs.

"I want to thank all our partners who continue to work with us in containing and ultimately eradicating FMD in our province.”

Winde said this latest allocation was made possible through the partnership with Dairy Management Consulting. More than 155 000 vaccine doses have so far been administered across 629 vaccination sites, with the support of 29 private veterinarians.

“As a province, we will continue pushing to procure our own FMD vaccines. This will further streamline and strengthen our response to the outbreak.” 

While the outbreak remains under control, Winde stressed the importance of continued vigilance. “We must remain alert and agile. By working together, we can protect both our provincial herd and our economy.”

Provincial Minister of Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism, Dr Ivan Meyer, emphasised the importance of strengthened control measures.

“We continue to prioritise the strengthening of systems that monitor and manage animal movement across the province. These controls are one of our most important lines of defence against the further spread of FMD.”

Apart from the assistance of Dairy Management Consulting, the Western Cape Government thanks Nova Feeds for paying for the cost of the flight that transported the latest vaccine consignment to the province.

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