The government has asked the biosecurity officer appointed by the Red Meat Industry Services earlier this year to investigate a fraudster who is trying to mislead farmers about the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine and its administration.
By Alani Janeke, senior journalist at African Farming and Landbouweekblad
A fraudster has contacted several farmers and indicated that they can be helped with a foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine for only R80 per dose. This person also says they are allowed to administer the vaccine.
Commandant Jan Nel, a biosecurity officer appointed by the Red Meat Industry Services (RMIS), has been asked to help investigate this fraudster.
A Warning To Farmers
Dewald Olivier, CEO of the RMIS, says although the investigation is ongoing, they want to warn farmers not to fall victim to fraudsters who indicate that they have cheaper FMD vaccines available.
“Foot-and-mouth disease is a state-controlled disease. It is also only state veterinarians who have access to the foot-and-mouth vaccine that is imported by the government from the Botswana Vaccine Institute (BVI). According to legislation, only state veterinarians may administer the vaccinations.”
Olivier said it is also important to note that no vaccine is currently available for sale to private livestock owners.
The RMIS has negotiated with the government to offer 500 000 of the second batch of vaccines that will be ordered from the BVI for sale to private owners. A total of 700 000 vaccines will be ordered. The remaining 200 000 will be used by the government to vaccinate animals in hotspot areas, among other places.
The cost of this vaccine is R99. This amount will include storage costs by Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP).
In the meantime, the RMIS this week also appointed Willem van Jaarsveld as a biosecurity officer. Van Jaarsveld’s focus area is the Western Cape, and his work will focus on trying to keep this province FMD-free.
