The Department of Agriculture will be hosting an urgent indaba in Pretoria on Monday and Tuesday next week in an effort to address the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks in five provinces.
By Alani Janeke
This disease is not only inflicting significant damage to South Africa’s multibillion-rand livestock sector but also poses a threat to the broader economy, says John Steenhuisen, Minister of Agriculture, in a media statement. “Therefore, the indaba presents a vital opportunity to unite expertise and resources to effectively eradicate this devastating disease.”
According to the statement, the indaba will convene multidisciplinary specialists to develop a coordinated and comprehensive approach to controlling and eventually eradicating foot-and-mouth disease.
Key Strategies On The Agenda
A programme is not available yet, but key strategies on the agenda include strengthening biosecurity on farms, implementing effective vaccination programmes and enforcing restrictions on the movement of animals.
“We are committed to developing precise and effective measures that will eradicate the disease and safeguard the long-term sustainability of South Africa’s agricultural sector,” the statement reads.
The Department of Agriculture will be presenting this high-level indaba in collaboration with the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), the University of Pretoria and Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP).
The indaba will take place on Monday and Tuesday from 09:00 to 16:00 on the ARC premises in Roodeplaat in Pretoria.
