SA’s FMD free status was reinstated recently after it was suspended in February 2011 by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).
This suspension marked a three year ban on meat exports from SA, costing the red meat industry an estimated R3 billion annually.
Agricultural minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson discussed her department’s plans to uphold this status.
“I have now directed the department to develop medium and long-term interventions to bolster our bio-security controls and ensure we maintain this status,” said Joemat-Pettersson after announcing the recovery of the FMD-free status in parliament.
She said the agricultural department had already acquired 27 mobile clinics. “These are fully-equipped vehicles, which include operating theatres and will bring veterinary services to rural areas where they have not previously been.”
The department planned to acquire 75 mobile clinics in total.
Joemat-Pettersson also said construction of a vaccine production facility was “at an advanced stage”, and once completed would significantly strengthen SA’s disease management systems.
“This will allow for the production of much-needed vaccines, including for FMD, which we are currently importing from Botswana.”
