John Steenhuisen, Minister of Agriculture. (Photo: John Steenhuisen/Facebook)
John Steenhuisen, the minister of agriculture, says that since February this year, South Africa has already obtained 13.5 million doses of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine and vaccinated almost 4.4 million animals nationwide.
Steenhuisen labels this as the largest vaccine procurement program that the South African state has yet undertaken.
“The government has funded this response. So far, the state has already spent R494 million on the purchase and use of vaccines. This fact is often overlooked in the public debate,” he says.
“We bore the financial burden of this intervention because the cost of doing nothing would be much greater. The protection of the national cattle herd, the securing of jobs, food security and confidence in the livestock industry are national priorities.”
Steenhuisen says 3.5 million doses of the Biogénesis Bagó vaccine have recently arrived in South Africa. Of this, 1.5 million doses are allocated to the feedlot industry, 500,000 to the Red Meat Producers Organisation, 200,000 to the Milk Producers Organisation, 100,000 to stud cattle breeders and 1.05 million to provinces. A part is also set aside for border areas.
He further announced that the South African Health Products Regulatory Board (Sahpra) has implemented the art. 21 application from Dunevax to import 14 million doses of the Dollvet vaccine. According to him, the first shipment of four million doses will be in the country this month.
Steenhuisen also acknowledged that many farmers have suffered due to movement restrictions, increased feed costs and market uncertainty.
“No one experiences the consequences of an outbreak more directly than the farmer whose livelihood depends on healthy animals and functioning markets,” he says.
“I’ve spent time with farmers across the country. I’ve listened to their frustrations. I’ve heard their concerns. I understand why they’re impatient.”
(Photo: John Steenhuisen/Facebook)
New regional cooperation for BKS control
Steenhuisen also welcomed the decision of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to prioritize the development of a regional framework for the control of BKS.
He believes stronger cooperation between countries will help better control outbreaks, protect trade and strengthen food security in the region.
The minister says South Africa is gradually moving away from a reactive system towards a more preventive approach to biosecurity.
“Today, South Africa has vaccine stock levels that have never been reached before. Vaccination is taking place on a large scale. Cooperation with the industry is increasing. Provincial coordination is improving. Diagnostic capacity is stronger,” he says.
He says that in the coming weeks the department will also introduce a formal biosecurity model between the public and private sector to further strengthen cooperation between the state and the agricultural industry.
According to Steenhuisen, the battle against BKS is not yet over, but South Africa is now starting to determine the pace of the response, rather than simply reacting to the disease.