The FF Plus has sent an urgent request to Limpopo’s MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Nanda Ndalane, to put the province on high alert to prevent the recent outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the North West province from spilling over to Limpopo, and to stop the outbreak in the Vhembe district from spreading to other areas.
A great cause for concern is the shortage of state veterinarians and the FF Plus demands that the Department of Agriculture must appoint veterinarians and improve the system as soon as possible.
The MEC and her Department must also ensure that the province’s red zones are secured to prevent infected animals from coming into contact with healthy animals.
The FF Plus is calling on all livestock farmers (commercial, emerging and small scale) in the province to take the responsibility upon themselves to see to it that their animals are frequently examined for the disease, are vaccinated as prescribed by the Department of Agriculture, and to obtain the required health clearances before livestock auctions.
Limpopo’s agricultural sector cannot afford a recurrence of the 2019-outbreak of this highly contagious disease.
Red-meat producers in Limpopo suffered great financial losses after the ban on the transport of livestock and auctions.
According to the National Agricultural Marketing Council, the 2019-outbreak in Limpopo cost the economy R4 billion.
The FF Plus wants to ensure that farmers are not put under even more financial pressure due to another large-scale outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.
Read the original article in Afrikaans by Marcelle Maritz on FF Plus
