The Western Cape Mobility Department has announced that it will staff three roadblocks from today as part of the province’s response to a confirmed case of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in the Gouda area.

By Charl van Rooyen, Senior Journalist at African Farming and Landbouweekblad

Agri Western Cape and the Red Meat Producers’ Organisation in the Western Cape have confirmed that a comprehensive operational plan has been developed in partnership with the Western Cape Department of Agriculture’s Veterinary Services to manage the current FMD situation.

The plan focuses on controlling, monitoring and preventing further spread of the disease, with specific attention to the Gouda area where the outbreak was confirmed.

In a statement, Agri Western Cape says everyone involved recognises the risk that the spread of the disease holds, not only for the red-meat industry but also for the entire Western Cape agricultural sector. “The movement-control plan is designed to guide cooperation between government, organised agriculture and local stakeholders – with the goal of containing, controlling and ultimately eradicating the disease.”

Key Operational Measures

The plan includes implementing a 10 km biosecurity control zone with the affected property at its centre. Within this area, the movement of animals, feed and potentially infected materials will be strictly limited.

The Western Cape Mobility Department has confirmed that from 7 November, three roadblocks will be actively staffed, two on the R46 and one on the R44. All vehicles transporting animals will be inspected.

Transporters must have the following documentation with them:

A declaration by the animal owner;
A declaration by the receiver of the animals; and
Required certificates in terms of sections 6 and 8 of the Stock Theft Act.

“If the required documents are not available, a state veterinarian must be notified immediately for follow-up. Agri Western Cape has also proposed the use of automatic licence-plate recognition to monitor vehicle movement in the control zone,” the statement reads.

Also read: ‘Prosecutions may follow’ – Steenhuisen after FMD scare in Western Cape

Coordinated Action

As part of the control measures, the animals on the Gouda property have been vaccinated. A 14-day observation period will apply before the animals may be slaughtered at a designated abattoir, provided no new symptoms appear.

A joint operations centre, led by the Western Cape Department of Agriculture, will be activated for ongoing monitoring, data collection and coordinated action.

Agri Western Cape will facilitate daily situational reports to all parties involved and support communication with producers via radio bulletins, WhatsApp groups and other platforms.

“The speed with which this plan has been compiled and implemented shows the value of a well-coordinated partnership between organised agriculture and the government,” says Louis Wessels, manager of legal services and administration at Agri Western Cape. “We remain focused on protecting the province’s livestock sector and maintaining biosecurity at every level.”

“Foot-and-mouth disease is a serious risk to the red-meat industry,” says Jaco van den Berg, chairperson of the Red Meat Producers’ Organisation in the Western Cape. “With greater discipline, cooperation and transparency, we can limit its impact and ultimately eradicate the disease.”

Responsibilities and Requests

The responsibilities of the key role-players involved are as follows:

• The Western Cape Department of Agriculture is responsible for veterinary services. It is the primary agency for disease confirmation, quarantine control, testing and epidemiological tracing in terms of the Animal Diseases Act (Act 35 of 1984).

• Agri Western Cape is responsible for coordinating cooperation between the government and the agricultural community, and leads communication through awareness, logistical support and biosecurity resources.

• The provincial traffic department and police services are responsible for establishing roadblocks and checkpoints to ensure that animal-movement measures are adhered to and that quarantine measures are enforced.

• The district and local authorities of the Cape Winelands and West Coast districts are responsible for support in terms of disaster management, health and logistics, as well as the coordination of local operations.

• The responsibility of producers and agricultural organisations is to implement strict biosecurity on farms, keep logs of visitors and vehicles, conduct regular disinfection and immediately report any suspected cases.

The following requests are directed at role-players in the red-meat industry:

• Do not buy or transport animals from FMD-infected areas or areas under movement control.

• It is risky to buy animals at an auction outside the Western Cape. Buy only from auctions that comply with the regulations of the Agricultural Produce Agents Council (APAC).

• Vehicles transporting animals must be washed and disinfected after animals are offloaded and before new animals are loaded. A certificate indicating the date, time and disinfectant used must accompany these vehicles at all times.

• Feed materials accompanying animals must be destroyed.

• Obtain a health certificate from a private veterinarian for animals that are bought, especially animals bought outside the Western Cape.

• Immediately report any suspected FMD cases to the nearest state veterinarian.

• Review and strengthen your own biosecurity measures, and report all movement of animals into or out of the quarantine area by completing and submitting the Department of Agriculture’s Livestock Movement webform.