Khethiwe Moeketsi vaccinating one of the cow.
Mpumalanga’s MEC for Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs (DARDLEA), Khethiwe Moeketsi, urged cattle farmers to assist government in curbing the spread of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD).
The provincial Department launched a mass vaccination drive in Balfour in the Dipaleseng Local Municipality on Friday, February 13 as President Cyril Ramaphosa declared FMD a national emergency.
Moeketsi called on cattle farmers not to allow suspicious movements of cattle into their areas as it contributes to the spread of this highly contagious disease.
During his SONA address, Ramaphosa said FMD had already wreaked havoc in the cattle industry across a number of provinces.
The launch of the mass vaccination drive took place at a communal livestock farm in Siyathemba Location in Balfour.
The inoculations would now be rolled out to other Districts as a matter of utmost urgency. This inoculation drive was made possible after a sizable number of FMD vaccines were made available in Mpumalanga.
Dipaleseng in Balfour was identified as the epicentre of the provincial outbreak with about 35 confirmed FMD cases. Another 149 FMD cases were confirmed throughout the Gert Sibande District, the most affected across the province with outbreaks reported across various local municipalities.
Moeketsi urged local farmers to immediately report any animals with FMD symptoms to their nearest State Vet facility and to stay in contact with the Vet regarding restrictions and other disease management strategies.
