South Africa is working to find long-term solutions for our biosecurity challenges.
By Wandile Sihlobo, Chief Economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz)
Over the next two days, 21 to 22 July, South African livestock farmers, regulators, industry stakeholders, economists, veterinary scientists and agricultural experts will gather in the north of Pretoria to discuss the one challenge that has confronted the agricultural sector more intensely in recent years: foot-and-mouth disease.
South Africa is working to find long-term solutions for our biosecurity challenges. The constant occurrence will ultimately reduce earnings and export opportunities to high-value markets. This is already happening and presenting financial pressures on cattle farming businesses, with some struggling to meet all their financial commitments.
It is for this reason that I would like to revisit some points we have discussed before as a reminder as we begin this conversation. Indeed, a significant amount of work has happened over the past few months, but the challenge remains.
Organised agriculture groups, such as the Red Meat Industry Services and the Department of Agriculture, are collaborating to contain the disease and restore the industry to its productive level. The Indaba will also seek to find a long-term, sustainable approach to managing this disease.
The fact that we have, over the years, been unable to resolve the animal disease crisis suggests we need a long-lasting solution. Both the government and farmers have a role and responsibility in this effort.
It is, therefore, an opportune time to review the implementation of some of the very logical and essential recommendations contained in the report issued by the Task Team appointed by former Minister Thoko Didiza of the then Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, which was completed in 2022. The Minister appointed the Task Team at the time, following the major spread of foot-and-mouth disease to extreme levels, where, for the first time, six of our nine provinces had cases.
Revisiting the Task Team’s Blueprint for Action
Admittedly, the Department of Agriculture has begun implementing some of the recommendations, particularly those related to vaccination in the affected areas and maintaining constant communication with provincial authorities and the public, among other measures. The focus should now be on consistently addressing the ten points below and continuing with the ones already underway.
The Task Team, amongst other things, recommended at the time that:
- Urgently establish an animal health biosecurity plan, which should include alternative options to ensure biosecurity, such as vaccination, to control the spread of disease.
- Activate Animal Health Biosecurity awareness programmes for livestock owners and handlers across the value chain, including regulatory compliance requirements.
- Actively enforce regulatory compliance for disease management throughout the value chain.
- Activate public-private partnership agreements and market access during disease emergencies for each commodity impacted by diseases.
- Re-activate the process to establish an animal disease emergency fund. This could be done by reserving a specified share of the national annual animal health budget in a contingency reserve. The necessary regulations will need to be developed, and approval from the National Treasury will likely be required.
- Reinstate a rigorous and practical system to control the movement of animals out of disease control areas. In the case of communal areas, a mechanism should be established to collaborate with traditional leaders.
- Immediately repair the fences nationwide that were erected to control the movement of animals in the foot-and-mouth disease protection zone.
- Review the structural arrangements across several Directorates within the national Department, particularly in the Branches of Agricultural Production, Health, Food Safety, Natural Resources, and Disaster Management, to eliminate duplication and strengthen human and financial resources.
- Evaluate and assess the management and leadership of key staff in the provincial veterinary offices and implement changes in key personnel.
Some of these recommendations will require collaboration with other departments, such as Public Works, the Border Management Agency, the South African Police Service and traditional leaders. Therefore, the Department of Agriculture must continuously engage with these stakeholders as it bolsters its work alongside the commodity associations. We view this as vital, as the livestock and poultry industries account for nearly half of our agricultural fortunes, with significant contributions by black farmers as part of the inclusive growth agenda.
Some argue that the Department of Agriculture appears reluctant to collaborate with private companies in vaccine manufacturing despite the dysfunction of Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP), which renders the country vulnerable. The inefficiencies of OBP’s vaccine production facility pose a serious challenge to the safety of animals and our food system. There should now be a greater focus on improving the efficiency of vaccine production, particularly at OBP, and opening up a path for private sector participation.
While we now struggle with foot-and-mouth disease, what we have learned from recent experience is this may not be the last outbreak, and there may be future outbreaks of various diseases in other value chains. This means South Africa, more than before, should increase its investment in animal health. We also need a similar focus on plant health.
*The indaba is taking place at the ARC’s facility in Roodeplaat. Charl van Rooyen, senior journalist for African Farming and our sister publication, Landbouweekblad, is attending the indaba. Follow www.africanfarming.com for extensive coverage of the proceedings.
