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Western Cape MEC for Agriculture, Economic Development, and Tourism, Dr. Ivan Meyer, calls for temporary ban to curb Foot and Mouth Disease spread
(The Post News)- Western Cape MEC for Agriculture, Economic Development, and Tourism, Dr. Ivan Meyer, along with state veterinarians, has inspected vehicles transporting animals at a local weighbridge in Beaufort West amid the ongoing Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak spreading throughout the Western Cape.
Meyer commented on the operation, saying that biosecurity had displayed a gigantic hazard to the agrarian segment and the economy of the Western Cape.
He adds that this action demonstrates his support for the efforts by state veterinarians and the red meat industry to control the spread of FMD in the Western Cape. Given the risks FMD poses to the cattle industry, animal owners must remain vigilant, enhance their biosecurity measures, and take all necessary precautions to prevent introducing the disease into the region.
The issue was raised during a Western Cape Cabinet meeting, where Premier Alan Winde asked Meyer to urgently write to National Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen, requesting a temporary ban on the movement of animals into the Western Cape.
Winde has also asked the Provincial Minister of Mobility, Isaac Sileku, to supply extra back to their colleagues in agribusiness in these basic operations.
Meyer says that the FMD poses a threat to the cattle industry, the agricultural economy, and occupations within the segment.
He continued to say that the meat industry is one of the foremost critical developing businesses within the South African rural division.
The red meat industry contributes more than R70 billion to the country’s economy each year and employs over 600,000 individuals.
In 2023, South Africa traded R4.7 billion in red meat, all inclusive, whereby the Western Cape contributed 14%, which is R6 million to the whole.
Meyer stated that, given the seriousness of the threat, he will be writing to the Eastern Cape MEC for Agriculture, Nonceba Kontsiwe, urging her to implement the measures outlined in Government Gazette Notice 47263 issued in October 2022.
Meyer said, “We must work together to uphold biosecurity preventive measures concerning the movement of cattle, sheep, and goats outside FMD disease management zones, including the Western Cape, to ensure our farmers’ and workers’ livelihoods are not jeopardised.”
He emphasised that he has asked state veterinarians to strictly uphold the current biosecurity degree and, where conceivable, encourage mediations that might reinforce their current operations.
Meyer said that the Western Cape Traffic Services supports allowing their state veterinarians to inspect animal shipments for the correct documents, which should include information about the origin, health status, and destination of the animals.
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