Kouga municipality in the Eastern Cape has decided to declare a state of disaster due to the devastating impact of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak on the district’s economy and agricultural sector. It will also ask the relevant provincial and national departments to do the same so the municipality can receive additional support.
This comes after the Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, last week declared a disease management area that includes parts of the Kouga and Koukamma municipalities. It introduces new permit requirements for the transportation of cattle, sheep, goats and their products.
Read more: Many dairy farmers request foot-and-mouth disease vaccination
Since foot-and-mouth disease was first reported in April at The Glen 1 and The Glen 2, just outside Humansdorp, the disease has spread like wildfire in the Eastern Cape, especially among dairy herds.
“The economic impact is devastating for our local farming community and has the potential to be detrimental to the local economy if the virus continues to spread,” says Hattingh Bornman, the Kouga mayor.
According to the municipality, the outbreak has led to estimated milk production losses of up to 40%, lower milk quality due to infected udders, high veterinary costs for treating infected cows, higher labour costs due to longer working hours, and additional expenses on minerals and feed for affected animals.
Under the disease management area declaration, there is a ban on the movement of cloven-hoofed animals, animal products or genetic products of such animals to and from the management area unless accompanied by a special permit from the state veterinarian.
Boundaries of the management area
The parts of the Koukamma and Kouga municipalities delineated by the following boundaries are declared part of the Eastern Cape’s disease management area:
- The western boundary is the Groot River.
- The northern boundary is the continuation of the Groot River where it turns east until it joins the border of Witelsbos. Then along the southern and eastern boundary of Witelsbos to the R402, from there along the R402 to the R62. Then along the R62 to the N2. Then along the N2 to the R330, and then along the R330 in a northerly direction to where the R330 crosses the Kabeljous River.
- The eastern boundary is the Kabeljous River.
- The southern boundary is the Indian Ocean.
State of affairs in other provinces
The Western Cape departments of agriculture, economic development and tourism, and mobility set up foot-and-mouth disease roadblocks on two key routes on the province’s border on Monday and Tuesday.
Cattle farmers and state veterinarians in the Western Cape can sleep easier after the announcement of the new control measures on the movement of animals, especially in the Eastern Cape, but they must remain vigilant, said Ivan Meyer, the Western Cape agriculture MEC.
According to the national Department of Agriculture, foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks have been confirmed on 26 farms in the Eastern Cape. All cattle on these farms have been vaccinated to reduce the viral load and clinical symptoms. Infected farms have also been placed under quarantine.
The department said in a statement that permission had been granted to 29 farms that applied to voluntarily vaccinate their herds. A further seven farms’ herds were vaccinated after veterinary officials detected signs of possible infection. So far, 84 655 animals on 62 farms in the Eastern Cape have been vaccinated. Willem van Jaarsveld of the foot-and-mouth disease forum says while the disease is under control in Limpopo, there are unresolved outbreaks in KwaZulu-Natal where a disease control area is still being maintained. Cases of the disease in North West and the Free State are being managed.
