Steenhuisen warns vaccination ‘not a silver bullet’ in FMD battle
Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen says achieving foot-and-mouth-free status is a monumental task that will not happen overnight.
Steenhuisen led a briefing in Cape Town on Tuesday to present what he described as a realistic and technical plan to tackle the outbreak that has struck various provinces.
The strategy will be implemented in phases over the next ten years, beginning with stabilisation, followed by consolidation, the eventual withdrawal of vaccination, and finally the attainment of disease-free status recognised by the World Organisation for Animal Health.
Steenhuisen said the plan is critical to the long-term health of the economy, food security, and the protection of farmers.
While the government is embarking on a mass vaccination drive of the national cattle herd, he cautioned that vaccination cannot replace essential biosecurity measures that must remain in place.
“Vaccination is not a silver bullet to eradicate or manage this disease. It is merely one of the tools that can and must be used to combat foot-and-mouth disease. It is, however, no replacement for good on-farm biosecurity, a greater adherence to movement controls, as well as ensuring at a farm level that biosecurity is up to the correct standard.”
The minister says he is concerned that outbreaks are occurring that remain unreported.
The current outbreak began in 2021, after animals were moved from Phalaborwa to KZN, now regarded as the epicentre of the disease.
Nearly two million animals have been vaccinated since the outbreak began.
We are prioritising high-risk zones, with the goal of reaching at least 80% coverage in targeted cattle populations, especially the communal areas and up to 100% in feedlots and dairy cows,” Steenhuisen said.
“The objective is to reduce outbreak incidence within 12 months by more than 70% in the high-risk provinces through systematic vaccination and preserve FMD-free provinces through buffer vaccination and strict movement controls.”
The Northern Cape is the only province that has not reported an outbreak of FMD.
Find us on social media
Follow the ECR Newswatch WhatsApp channel here
We are also on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter)
MORE ON ECR:
