Producers mount coordinated response to FMD outbreak
JOHANNESBURG - The red meat industry is on high alert.
A Foot-and-Mouth Disease outbreak is spreading, with confirmed cases in KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Gauteng.
Now, the Red Meat Industry Services has set up a dedicated operations centre.
It will monitor and mount a full-scale, time-bound response to the threat.
Just last week, Karan Beef, one of the biggest producers, detected the disease at its Heidelberg facility.
Dewald Olivier, CEO of Red Meat Industry Services, said vaccinations have started.
"It seems like the spread within the Karan Beef lot has slowed down a little bit, and it also seems like an outbreak in Vosloorus is also slowing down," Olivier said.
"It's going fairly well at this stage, we're just waiting for vaccines to arrive from Botswana, and then we can start with full-scale vaccination of the cattle."
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eNCA
2 days ago
- eNCA
Producers mount coordinated response to FMD outbreak
JOHANNESBURG - The red meat industry is on high alert. A Foot-and-Mouth Disease outbreak is spreading, with confirmed cases in KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Gauteng. Now, the Red Meat Industry Services has set up a dedicated operations centre. It will monitor and mount a full-scale, time-bound response to the threat. Just last week, Karan Beef, one of the biggest producers, detected the disease at its Heidelberg facility. Dewald Olivier, CEO of Red Meat Industry Services, said vaccinations have started. "It seems like the spread within the Karan Beef lot has slowed down a little bit, and it also seems like an outbreak in Vosloorus is also slowing down," Olivier said. "It's going fairly well at this stage, we're just waiting for vaccines to arrive from Botswana, and then we can start with full-scale vaccination of the cattle."
IOL News
3 days ago
- IOL News
Government ramps up vaccine efforts to combat foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in KZN
Minister of Agriculture John Steehuisen said that the Government will be increasing vaccines to address the outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease (FMD) in KZN Image: Pexels Minister of Agriculture John Steehuisen on Monday announced a significant increase in vaccine supplies in KwaZulu-Natal in a bid to combat the ongoing outbreak of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD). This announcement comes in the wake of urgent calls from livestock commodity groups united under the KwaZulu-Natal Agricultural Union (Kwanalu) for the province to be declared a disaster area due to the severe implications of FMD on local livelihoods. During his address at the TMR Conference hosted by the Milk Producers Organisation on Monday, Steehuisen FMD has severely impacted the red meat industry since the outbreaks in 2019. 'It has closed doors to critical markets. It disrupted supply chains. And it sent shockwaves through producer confidence. We have learned some hard lessons. We cannot achieve prosperity through exports without credible, science-based, and trusted disease control systems,' he said. Steenhuisen added that the department was working closely with industry through joint command structures to improve surveillance and rapid response. 'But we know this is not enough. We need a sustainable, nationally coordinated FMD vaccination programme that meets the standards of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH); upgraded veterinary infrastructure, and strong biosecurity protocols, not only at our borders but at farm level, transport corridors, and auction sites.' 'South Africa must adopt a system that meets international traceability requirements - digital, decentralised, and inclusive We are prioritising the finalisation of the National Traceability Framework, and we will continue to support farmer compliance through targeted technical support.' Steehuisen said the department has ordered vaccines to cover the KZN area, while assessment, as well as forward and backward tracing of the outbreak in Gauteng is ongoing. 'These plans are not only about responding to outbreaks, but it's also about building permanent infrastructure to manage future risks.' The Red Meat Industry Services (RMIS) said it has implemented Phase 1 of its coordinated response to the ongoing Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak. 'Located at RMIS headquarters in Pretoria, the Operational Centre is being developed in a phased approach to ensure rapid implementation, relevance, and operational efficiency,' it said. 'To ensure immediate functionality, Phase 1 focuses on establishing the core operational capabilities of the OC. This phase lays the groundwork for effective coordination and control, with the following key components.' RMIS added that they were utilising a national network of 177 Ruminant Private Veterinarians conducting daily surveillance of FMD. It said that suspected FMD cases reported by the private veterinarians were mapped in real time on the RMIS Platform, which was specifically developed for this purpose. 'Each case's status is continuously updated and displayed on the platform, providing a national bird's-eye view of the outbreak. This visual overview supports effective disease management and decision-making within the Operational Centre.' RMIS added that the FMD contingency plan outlined a clear step-by-step process to be followed once a suspected case is identified by a veterinarian. 'The Operational Centre will support the coordination of this process, facilitating communication and action between the farmer, private veterinarian, state veterinarian, laboratory, and the Department of Animal Health, to ensure accurate execution within the recommended timeframe.' RMIS said that updates on case status and outbreak mapping will be communicated directly to veterinarians through the RMIS Platform via WhatsApp, ensuring fast, accurate, and streamlined information delivery. 'In Phase 2, RMIS plans to introduce a public reporting channel for suspected animal movements in collaboration with various organised agricultural organisations. This will be followed by Phase 3, which will see the integration of an electronic risk assessment and movement permit system into the RMIS platform also through collaboration with various organised agricultural organisations.' BUSINESS REPORT
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5 days ago
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Centralised operational centre to deal with the FMD crisis set up
Farmers have welcomed the establishment of the centralised operational centre aimed at addressing the FDM crisis. farmers have welcomed the establishment of the centralised operational centre aimed at addressing the FDM crisis. Picture: CatherineAs foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) continues to ravage the agricultural sector, farmers have welcomed the establishment of the centralised operational centre aimed at addressing the crisis. The centre will be activated today by Red Meat Industry Services (RMIS) in response to the widespread of FMD outbreak which is threatening food security and jobs in the country. ALSO READ: Will SA run out of beef and chicken? Animal disease hits SA's top producer — what it means for consumers A plan to address FMD RMIS is a not-for-profit organisation mandated to safeguard animal and public health, expand market access, foster inclusive growth, and ensure long-term industry competitiveness. Dewald Olivier, CEO of RMIS, said the plan was to guide the organisation in addressing the FMD situation in South Africa, with a strong focus on protecting red meat role-players to ensure the long-term sustainability and growth of the industry. Olivier said a designated RMIS veterinarian would lead the centre and also oversee a team of veterinary professionals and industry representatives, along with a specialist public relations and public affairs agency, forming the FMD working group. 'The FMD working group will be mandated to develop and implement a structured, timebound response to the outbreak, with medium- to long-term goals, including a focus on vaccination among other key areas,' he said. 'This is critical not only for the red meat sector, but also for South Africa's broader agricultural economy, as the outbreak impacts the entire red meat value chain and poses a threat to the dairy industry and other sectors connected to red meat production.' Olivier said another key aim was to establish public-private partnerships at various levels to support the understaffed public veterinary sector by leveraging private sector expertise and capacity. 'This is a defining moment for the red meat industry. RMIS was established precisely for a time like this – to provide coordinated leadership, technical expertise and practical solutions in close collaboration with government and industry partners. Our unified efforts will shape a more secure, sustainable, and competitive future for the industry,' he said. ALSO READ: R72m foot-and-mouth vaccine delivery due mid-June A partnership to fight FMD Frikkie Mare, CEO of Red Meat Producers Organisation as one of the founding members of the RMIS, agreed with the establishment of the centre. Mare said it was important to note that FMD was a state-controlled disease and the envisaged centre would not be there to take over the role of government, but rather to assist it in gathering data, proposing action plans for the control of the disease and to digitalise animal movement permits. 'We believe this is a step in the right direction for more effective control of FMD with a partnership between the government and industry,' said Mare. TAU SA general manager Bennie van Zyl has also welcomed the establishment of the centre and said fighting FMD was essential because it was also threatening dairy farmers. 'This joint operation command centre is a very good thing and we support it' said Van Zyl. 'It is important that they actually have a well-functioning mechanism that can help the government to do what needs to be done. We hope that very soon the problem will be resolved. There is a need for everyone to play a role in addressing this problem.' Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen said his department was aware that there was a great deal of anxiety around the various outbreaks of FMD in several provinces. Steenhuisen said the department was working around the clock to address the issue. 'All infected properties are placed under quarantine and no movement is allowed into, out of or through that particular area of the farm,' he said. 'Large areas where individual notices cannot be served have been gazetted as disease management areas. And, of course, the same restrictions apply.' He said the government was embarking upon a vaccination campaign and has set aside more than R70 million for FMD vaccines to inoculate about 900 000 animals. NOW READ: Foot-and-mouth disease outbreak rocks South Africa's cattle industry
