South Africa’s dairy value chain faces different risks from foot-and-mouth disease compared to the red meat value chain and requires a specific response.
By Lloyd Phillips, Senior Journalist at African Farming and Landbouweekblad
The Red Meat Industry Services’ (RMIS) successful efforts to improve collaboration between the state’s animal health authorities and the red meat industry on the challenges posed by foot-and-mouth disease prompted Milk SA to create a Foot-and-Mouth Work Group to specifically investigate novel solutions for South Africa’s dairy value chain.
The nine members of the Milk SA FMD Work Group are:
- Dr Mark Chimes – veterinary advisor to Milk SA, and chairperson of the Milk SA FMD Work Group
- Dr Athony Jarvis – private veterinarian in the Eastern Cape’s Humansdorp district
- Dr Jacqui Marais – private veterinarian in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands
- Luke Gibbs – chairperson of the national Milk Producers’ Organisation (MPO), and dairy farmer in KwaZulu-Natal
- Daan Landman – chairperson of the MPO Eastern Cape, and president of Agri Eastern Cape
- Nigel Lok – member of Milk SA’s dairy research and development committee, and dairy farmer in the Eastern Cape
- Jompie Burger – general manager of the Dairy Standard Agency
- Dave Durham – chief executive officer of Orange Grove Dairy in KwaZulu-Natal, and
- Chris Fourie – senior consultant with Dairy Management Consulting
“The work group is kept small to ensure rapid communication and decision-making. The three veterinarians of the Milk SA Work Group have been included in agriculture minister John Steenhuisen’s task team on controlled animal diseases [like FMD] that was announced on 1 September,” says a statement.
Also read: WATCH | John Steenhuisen announces foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) plan
“The work group has been tasked by Milk SA to address the shortcomings of specifically, and to find ways to mitigate the damage caused by the current FMD control measures.”
Milk SA says dairy farmers are affected by FMD-related restrictions on both milk processing and red meat processing. Furthermore, dairy animals tend to suffer more severe symptoms from FMD than beef cattle. This results in significant losses in both milk production and cattle.
“Milk processors accepting milk from quarantined farms lose their export license and need to double pasteurise or UHT treat the milk to neutralise any FMD virus present. Milk treated in these ways is unsuitable for cheese production. All these matters have a severe impact on the finances of dairy farmers and processors.”
Milk SA is optimistic that collaboration between all South Africa’s livestock industries and the state’s animal health authorities will help bring FMD under control.
