By Lebogang Mashala
The National Department of Agriculture has lifted the disease control areas (DMAs) in the Eastern Cape and Limpopo after Veterinary Services successfully contained the spread of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in these provinces.
Recently, Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen announced that, following the successful implementation of 144 424 vaccinations, the movement restrictions in the Eastern Cape DMA have been lifted. A DMA had been in place in the Kouga and Kou-Kamma municipalities since 26 July 2024 to control FMD outbreaks, with the last cases reported in September 2024. Extensive serological surveillance was conducted in the DMA to confirm that there are no undetected pockets of the disease.
In Limpopo, the DMA had been established in September 2022 to contain an FMD outbreak in dip tanks within the Vhembe Municipality. Cattle at 34 dip tanks were vaccinated over two rounds, resulting in a total of 23 024 vaccinations administered. After extensive serological surveillance conducted at the end of 2024, the department confirmed there is no evidence of the FMD virus in the DMA, allowing all restrictions to be lifted, said Steenhuisen.
Only collective efforts can safeguard agricultural sector
“Biosecurity is not just a farming concern but a shared responsibility of every individual in South Africa. We urge all citizens, especially those involved in livestock management or travelling between rural areas, to consistently follow all biosecurity measures,” emphasised the Minister. “Only through our collective efforts can we safeguard our agricultural sector, protect livelihoods and maintain our areas as FMD-free,” he added.
However, farms in the Eastern Cape will remain under quarantine. A total of 76 farms in the Eastern Cape that were infected and/or vaccinated will stay quarantined until testing confirms the absence of viral circulation. Testing will begin 12 months after the farms have been vaccinated.
The department stated that milk from quarantined farms can be released into the local market following single pasteurisation, rather than the double pasteurisation required when the disease was still active in the area.
Maintaining the DMA in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), the department noted it will remain in place, as there are still signs of active virus circulation in the area, with outbreaks detected outside the DMA. “An abattoir in the Vryheid area has been designated to slaughter animals from premises under FMD restrictions. A system has been implemented to assess the level of biosecurity on individual farms, aligning control measures with the associated biosecurity risks,” said NDA.
