FMD | More than half a million animals vaccinated in Limpopo; subsistence farmers raise concerns

In Limpopo, 504 186 domestic animals have been vaccinated against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) across the province’s five district municipalities.

By Montsho Matlala

FMD vaccination campaigns are currently under way in all five districts of Limpopo, as nearly every one of the province’s 22 local municipalities includes farms and communities where animals still need to be vaccinated, says Moshupologo Mothotse, spokesperson for the Limpopo Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The province recently received 775 660 vaccine doses, which have been distributed among the districts. Distribution from the national Department of Agriculture is based on a priority list determined by outbreaks, Mothotse says.

Vhembe district under high surveillance

Since May, the vaccination drive in Vhembe has expanded to include sheep and goats. The district has been placed under high surveillance for FMD because of interaction between livestock and wildlife, specifically buffalo escaping through broken fences from the nearby Kruger National Park.

To address the issue, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development says it is working closely with officials from the provincial Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism, as well as park managers, to deal with wild animals straying from the Kruger and other game reserves.

Mothotse says cattle along the Kruger boundary are vaccinated against FMD every four or six months, depending on the type of vaccine used.

She says the focus is mainly on cattle, but pigs can also spread the disease when infected, which is why they are vaccinated in outbreak areas.

Also read: Farmers get clearer FMD rules as new measures open trade during quarantine

Vaccination against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in Limpopo is ongoing, with the aim of surpassing the 504 186 domestic animals vaccinated thus far and reach the 80% target by December. Of the province’s five districts, Vhembe is under high surveillance because of interactions between domestic animals and wild animals straying from the Kruger National Park. Photos: Montsho Matlala

Subsistence farmers raise concerns

“There is no direct information on animal diseases available to us as rural farmers; even agricultural extension officers that are supposed to serve us are not always available,” says Thamaga Mokgophi, a subsistence cattle farmer from Mphaaneng village in the Capricorn District Municipality. He keeps five animals in a log kraal in his home yard.

He is worried that there may be too few extension officers, given that Capricorn is a large district with diverse livestock populations. “As we speak, localised trading in cattle is going on unhindered. People exchange animals, while others sell them to those who slaughter for weddings, funerals and other rituals,” he says.

Mogodumo Frans Diale, a member of the Barui ba Sekhukhune Anti Livestock Theft and Prevention Forum, says although they welcome government’s efforts to combat the disease, it is concerning that vaccination often begins only after FMD cases have been detected.

Allowing animals to become infected before vaccinating those without symptoms is cruel, he says. A more humane approach would be to intensify preventative vaccination of all cloven-hoofed animals, instead of waiting for outbreaks.

“Rural animal owners are less prioritised because much focus is on commercial producers, and this approach is unfair,” Diale says. “All of us, subsistence and commercial animal farmers, pay the R210 fee for animal registration certificates regardless of herd size.”

Also read: FMD | Free State reports 14 new cases amid vaccination push

Vaccination target remains in sight

The provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has urged farmers not to lose hope, but to continue reporting any signs of disease in their livestock to agricultural authorities in their local municipalities.

Mothotse says the department remains optimistic about reaching its vaccination target of 1,2 million animals, or 80% of the province’s domestic cloven-hoofed livestock, by the end of the year.

According to the national Department of Agriculture, 80% of domestic cloven-hoofed animals in each of the nine provinces should be vaccinated, with Limpopo expected to reach the target by December. This is intended to prevent cross-border transmission, as Limpopo shares international borders with Zimbabwe, Botswana and Mozambique.

The other eight provinces are expected to reach their targets early next year, paving the way for possible booster vaccination rounds.