Parliament calls for local production of foot & mouth disease vaccine
Experts from the Agricultural Research Council were on hand to account to the Committee and give a progress update on the implementation of their Audit Improvement Plans.
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eNCA
2 days ago
- eNCA
Parliament calls for local production of foot & mouth disease vaccine
CAPE TOWN - Parliament's Agriculture Portfolio Committee has warned of dire consequences if the prevailing foot and mouth disease outbreak is not reined in speedily. Experts from the Agricultural Research Council were on hand to account to the Committee and give a progress update on the implementation of their Audit Improvement Plans.
IOL News
5 days ago
- IOL News
South Africa's livestock industry under siege: Steenhuisen's call for urgent reforms
Minister John Steenhuisen delivers the opening address at the Foot-and-Mouth Disease Indaba, outlining urgent reforms to strengthen South Africa's livestock disease response system. Image: File In a hard-hitting address at the Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) Indaba on Monday, Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen painted a stark picture of South Africa's livestock industry under siege, not just from disease outbreaks but from a 'broken system' plagued by policy failure, institutional fatigue and outdated response models. Speaking to a packed venue of scientists, veterinarians, agricultural leaders and government officials, Steenhuisen warned that if the country continues with its current fragmented approach, it will remain vulnerable to future outbreaks and economic devastation. 'What we saw was a response system stretched to its limits, with breakdowns in communication, severe delays in vaccine availability, confusion over movement controls, and an alarming lack of readiness at several levels of government,' said Steenhuisen. 'Farmers were unsure of the measures. Provinces were uncertain of the protocols. And while the virus spread, trust in the state's capacity to respond continued to erode.' The minister identified four urgent areas of reform: regionalisation, vaccine security, infrastructure development, and investment in research and development. He announced the appointment of senior veterinarians Dr Emily Mogajane and Dr Nomsa Mnisi to lead the development of a national regionalisation framework that will define disease control zones, improve provincial coordination, and align with constitutional mandates. 'The failure to regionalise is not due to a lack of veterinary science. It is due to a lack of institutional coordination, legal clarity and capacity,' he said, emphasising that trade partners penalised the entire country despite outbreaks being limited to specific zones. Addressing vaccine shortages, Steenhuisen called for private sector co-investment in a national vaccine bank. 'We were compelled to import vaccines from Botswana just to mount even a partial response. This is unsustainable,' he said. 'If you want predictability, you must also invest.' Infrastructure was also in the spotlight, particularly in FMD protection zones. Steenhuisen announced new fiscal allocations to build local feedlots and abattoirs in Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga, aiming to curb illegal livestock movement that undermines disease control. 'These facilities will provide alternatives to illicit trade. They will create rural jobs,' he said. Looking ahead, the minister underscored the importance of animal science and climate resilience. 'We must elevate the Agricultural Research Council to the same level as its international counterparts,' he said, proposing partnerships with institutions like the University of Pretoria's Biosecurity Hub and leveraging statutory levies for R&D. But the message was not only one of critique, it was a rallying cry for unity and action. 'This Indaba is not about apportioning blame. It is about fixing what has gone wrong,' Steenhuisen said. 'We must break the cycle of reactive containment and move toward proactive, coordinated disease management.' IOL News
The Citizen
6 days ago
- The Citizen
Government, experts unite at Indaba to tackle foot-and-mouth disease
South Africa is experiencing significant and ongoing challenges with widespread outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), affecting several provinces, including KZN, Mpumalanga, Gauteng and, most recently, the Free State. The resurgence of the disease has resulted in livestock movement restrictions and significantly impacted the country's red meat trade on international markets. In response to the escalating crisis, the Department of Agriculture, in partnership with the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), the University of Pretoria and Onderstepoort Biological Products, is hosting a national Foot-and-Mouth Disease Indaba. The two-day event, today and tomorrow, is taking place at the ARC-VIMP Campus in Roodeplaat, northeast of Pretoria. Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen and Deputy Minister Nokuzola Capa will lead the Indaba, which aims to bring together top veterinary scientists, agricultural experts and key industry stakeholders to deliberate on and develop long-term solutions to combat FMD. 'Having already inflicted significant damage to the multibillion-rand livestock sector, the disease continues to threaten South Africa's broader economy. Therefore, the Indaba presents a vital opportunity to unite expertise and resources to effectively eradicate this devastating disease. 'The Indaba will convene a range of multidisciplinary specialists to develop a coordinated and comprehensive approach to controlling and ultimately eradicating foot-and-mouth disease,' the department said in a statement. Key areas of discussion will include strengthening biosecurity measures at farm level, enhancing vaccination programmes and reinforcing animal movement controls. The Department of Agriculture, in collaboration with the Agricultural Research Council, emphasised its commitment to identifying and implementing sustainable solutions to FMD. The department added that the Indaba signifies a crucial advancement in the ongoing efforts to combat the disease. 'By cultivating strong partnerships between government entities, academic institutions and industry leaders, the Department of Agriculture is committed to developing precise and effective measures that will eradicate the disease and safeguard the long-term sustainability of South Africa's agricultural sector.' – Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
