Pretoria - KwaZulu-Natal MECs have allayed fears that rural livestock will be killed as a measure to contain the spread of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD).
Provincial MECs for Agriculture, Environmental Affairs and Rural Development, Lydia Johnson and Economic Development and Tourism, Mike Mabuyakhulu held a meeting with rural livestock owners in Mkhanyakude District at the weekend, where they explained that there was no need to panic as there was currently no talk or need of killing livestock to contain the disease at this stage.
"While the disease itself is bad, its spread has not reached far, which is why we have set up 24-hour road blocks on strategic access routes to the district to contain it within the area where it has been identified" said Johnson.
She urged livestock owners to cooperate in containment of the virus by bringing livestock to dipping tanks where vaccinations will be administered by technicians on the ground.
She also urged them to identify livestock owners who have reasons beyond their understanding for not bringing cattle to dip tanks but keep them in forests.
"All vaccinated animals will be branded on the neck and any animal that remains without a brand mark after the vaccinations must be reported and its owner must also be identified," Johnson said.
Mabuyakhulu stressed that from now on, there was a total ban on animal movement across, district, provincial and international borders until they were sure that the virus had been eliminated and that cross-border trading was safe.
He explained the economic implications that come with the existence of FMD in South Africa, noting that all meat exports from South Africa have been banned.
"This means if you made a livelihood by selling cows, which are then sold outside South Africa as meat, or any product of it, you are out of business until those countries are assured that the problem has been completely eliminated.
"If livestock owners do not cooperate with government in the containment and elimination of the virus, export business will suffer for longer and eventually the spread of the virus will lead into a decision to kill all cattle in affected areas as a way to eliminate the virus," said Mabuyakhulu. - BuaNews
