National ban on cattle movement

On Tuesday, August 16, the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) announced a national ban on the movement of cattle.

This intervention follows the recent rapid spread of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in South Africa.

There are currently active outbreaks in Mpumalanga, Gauteng, North West, Free State and KwaZulu-Natal provinces and new outbreaks continue to be detected.

South Africa’s animal product exports have already been affected and animal production efficiency has been damaged, not to mention the animal suffering caused by this disease.

All cloven-hoofed animals, such as cattle, sheep, goats and pigs, are susceptible to the disease. However, mainly cattle are affected by the current outbreak, with sheep playing a small role in disease transmission.

The disease has an incubation period of up to 14 days, during which it can spread without the animal showing any signs of illness.

Movement

The department says the movement of infected cattle is the largest cause of disease spread, hence the ban.

People, vehicles and equipment are also an important cause of spread, therefore emphasis must be placed on the disinfection of vehicle wheels and equipment that move between farms. People should also be careful not to handle other animals within five days of having contact with suspected sick animals and to change or clean footwear and clothing when leaving any farm.

The movement ban applies only to cattle, but the department calls on owners to handle the movement of all susceptible animals responsibly.

Farmers are advised to purchase animals only from reliable sources, with a clear animal health history, and preferably not from affected provinces. Farmers are strongly advised against buying livestock at auctions, where animals from different places gather and mix. Purchased animals should then be quarantined for a period of 28 days before mixing with the rest of the herd.

Conditions

Cattle may only move for direct slaughter under the following conditions:

All animals that will be moved must be individually identified with ear tags. Owners must apply for a Red Cross Movement Permit from the state veterinarian responsible for the premises of origin, stating the addresses of the premises of origin and of destination and number of animals to be moved as well as their own full name and ID number.

The application must include a declaration by a private veterinarian that the animals did not show any clinical signs of a controlled disease.

The animals must be inspected by the private veterinarian on the day of the movement.

Animals may be slaughtered for religious or cultural reasons, provided they are slaughtered on the premises they are kept, and the meat may not be sold for human or animal consumption.