Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen says South Africa will this week receive vaccines from Botswana as the countries accelerate the fight against the Foot and Mouth Disease.
Steenhuisen says the vaccines were procured for R72 million and will be rolled out as part of a mass vaccination programme set to start in KwaZulu-Natal.
The minister has also raised concerns about the movement of animals and feed at auctions.
He says government plans to strengthen regulations to contain the spread of the disease.
“The Department has set us out R72 million to procure vaccines from Botswana. Those will arrive this week and working again with the Red Meat Industry Services body, with industry players, as well as some of the feedlots we’re going to start a feedlots vaccination programme and start vaccinating in KwaZulu-Natal and using vaccination as an attempt to try and get that under control.”
Steenhuisen adds, “However, we do need cooperation, both from the farming sector themselves, adhere to the rules and regulations around auctions and the movement of animals. I am publishing and gazetting a new stringent set of animal movement regulations, as well as regulations governing feed lots and auction houses. Those need to be adhered to and I’ll be taking that particular plan to Cabinet in the next fortnight.”
