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Cattle in an enclosure.
KwaZulu-Natal Agriculture MEC Thembeni kaMadlopha-Mthethwa, has encouraged farmers to bring their cattle, goats and pigs to be dipped against foot and mouth disease.
The MEC visited Johnstone Village outside Newcastle to check on progress being made in dipping cloven hoof animals in the Amajuba District after the disease was recently detected there as well.
So far, 40 000 cattle in the district have been dipped. The Umkhanyakude, Zululand and the King Cetshwayo districts are also experiencing an outbreak.
The department is focusing on the restriction of movement, surveillance and vaccination to eradicate the outbreak.
“It’s fortunate for the communities because we are vaccinating for everything. If there are measles, there are other diseases we also incorporate and we vaccinate every cow and we are encouraging people that have even goats and pigs to bring their animals here. And I also thank the community for the cooperation they’ve shown to us and encouraging them to participate fully,” says KaMadlopha-Mthethwa.
The MEC says since new locations have been declared as foot and mouth disease management areas a week ago, the department is also dipping animals along the R74 between KwaDukuza and the Oliviershoek Pass to the Free State.
“I’m positive – looking at the way communities are cooperating. We are not going to say 100 percent, but yes, we are positive. And all those areas that have been identified, our teams are out there assisting communities and telling them what is expected of them. And because they love their stock so much, they are cooperating.”
Meanwhile, small scale farmers from the Nkombose area in Mtubatuba on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast have since appealed to government to dispatch extra officers to areas impacted by foot and mouth disease.
