BALFOUR- MEC for Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs, Khethiwe Moeketsi has called on cattle farmers play their part in assisting government in its efforts to curb the spread of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD).
Launching a provincial mass vaccination of cattle against FMD in Balfour under Dipaleseng Local Municipality last Friday, Moeketsi said farmers should not allow suspicious movements of cattle into their area, as this contributes to the spread of the contagious disease.
The official start of the inoculations coincided with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement during his State of the Nation Address last week when he declared Foot and Mouth Disease a national disaster. Ramaphosa added that FMD has already decimated the cattle industry across a number of provinces.
The launch took place at a communal livestock farm in Siyathemba Location, marking the start of a mass FMD vaccination to be rolled out to other districts henceforth, in a quest to curb any further spread of the disease.
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This after a sizable number of FMD vaccine doses were made available to the province, allowing for the campaign to start in earnest. Dipaleseng has been identified as the epicentre in the province with about 35 confirmed FMD outbreaks, while 149 outbreaks have been confirmed throughout the Gert Sibande District.
About 80 farmers from Balfour and Grootvlei attended the official launch. The department said it will assist farmers access veterinary services to curb the spread of the disease. “We call upon our farmers to immediately report any symptoms associated with FMD to their nearest state veterinary facility.”
Balfour, which has been identified as the epicentre in the province with about 35 confirmed FMD outbreaks. The Gert Sibande District is the most affected in the province, with over 149 confirmed outbreaks scattered across the local munipalities.
MEC Moeketsi says local farmers should also maintain contact with vets regarding animal restrictions and other disease management strategies.
