No plan to put down stock to stop disease spreading

IT COULD take another week or two for state vets to establish how far the foot-and-mouth disease has spread.

Yesterday, Dr Botlhe Modisane, the chief director of animal production and health at the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Daff), said there were no plans to conduct euthanasia as a means to curb the outbreak.

“The disease can be controlled. We have a team on the ground working tirelessly to contain the outbreak. Hopefully, we will know by next week how serious the situation is,” he said.

High cases in cattle have been found in Vhembe district in Limpopo. While there have been no new developments, the Daff earlier in the week said samples had been collected following reports of cattle with lameness. As a result, the department has placed a moratorium on the movement of cloven-hoofed livestock in the affected area and along some of the routes.

The outbreak has also had an adverse impact on the economy as some countries have already banned the import of these products.

“Our main priority at this stage is to ensure that we vaccinate all the animals, even those that are not affected. Our surveillance also means that we’re conducting roadblocks to ensure people comply,” said Modisane.

Meanwhile, farmers have called on Daff to conduct an extensive education campaign regarding the outbreak.

Wilson Muvhulawa, a well-known livestock farmer and a member of the Southern African Federation of Livestock Farmers, said many rural farmers lack adequate knowledge about foot-and-mouth disease, how it is spread and what action they can take if they suspect their livestock might be affected. “The situation is under control and people need to understand the disease cannot be transferred to them from cooked meat.”

He said farmers who might not have information about symptoms should contact the authorities as soon as they notice anything unusual. |