Seven more cases of foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks have been confirmed on farms in the Free State, while a possible case in the Leeudoringstad district in the North West has been uploaded to the Red Meat Industry Services (RMIS) system.

By Alani Janeke, senior journalist at African Farming and Landbouweekblad

A total of six new cases of foot-and-mouth disease were confirmed in the district of Viljoenskroon this week and one case in Sasolburg. The Free State Department of Agriculture and Rural Development says the total number of cases in the Free State now stands at 49. A total of 25 of these cases are in the Viljoenskroon district, while 10 cases have been confirmed in the Kroonstad district.

The other towns where cases have been confirmed are Deneysville, Cornelia/Frankfort, Heilbron, Edenville and Odendaalsrus.

During Nampo Alfa, Dewald Olivier, CEO of the RMIS, confirmed to African Farming that a possible positive case in Leeudoringstad has been reported on their system.

Also read: FMD fight continues – still more than 200 outbreaks in 5 provinces

Laboratories

He says as new cases are confirmed, state laboratories are increasingly falling behind in the blood tests to confirm suspected cases. The RMIS has already appointed 14 technicians to help the government speed up these tests.

The office of John Steenhuisen, Minister of Agriculture, has contacted the RMIS and asked them to help identify alternative laboratories that can help clear the backlog. The RMIS has identified 13 privately owned laboratories that could potentially be used. However, the government has yet to empower these laboratories to conduct tests.

Olivier says it is important that the way in which the tests are done must be shortened, because this is currently one of the reasons why there is a backlog. “We just need to make a change in the way we test. We are in a crisis and this needs to be addressed quickly.”

Jordan and Egypt

Meanwhile, the RMIS and other industry players met with representatives from Jordan and Egypt this week to discuss export opportunities to these countries.

Olivier says these two countries are willing to allow the export of meat from healthy, vaccinated animals, subject to certain terms and conditions. “I get a lot of questions about the effect that Pres. Donald Trump’s tariff decisions are having on the demand for local red meat. There is a shortage of red meat worldwide and our red meat is popular, and the gaps that exist present us with opportunities.”