As the Foot and Mouth Disease spreads to various farms in the Eastern Cape, rural farmers in Jeffreys Bay allege they have been left in the dark and have received no assistance from the Kouga Municipality or the relevant departments.
As previously reported by Kouga Express, Kouga Waste and Environmental Manager, Christa Venter, said a case of FMD was confirmed at a farm outside Humansdorp on May 2, one day after a farmer in the area informed a local veterinarian of their suspicion of FMD.
More than a month after the first report was confirmed, in a statement released by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development on June 6, it was confirmed that FMD was discovered on four more farms in the Humansdorp area, and one in East London.
“The laboratory at Onderstepoort Veterinary Research in Pretoria confirmed that the results from samples collected on these farms were positive for SAT on serology and PCR tests. Virus identifications by sequencing have identified the same SAT3 virus on these positive farms,” the statement read.
Amid the outbreak of FMD on the five farms, the department said they are calling on livestock farmers and owners in all provinces to limit the movement of cloven-hoofed animals, as far as possible.
Shortly after the first case was confirmed in May, Venter said the municipality had started with loudhailing in the area, to make people aware that animals should be kept in confined areas.
She also mentioned that communication regarding the outbreak was done on all ward groups, and that the municipality would continue to communicate with the public through media releases, and by hosting educational campaigns in and around affected areas.
Despite the municipality’s efforts, local farmer, Christina Mdoti, from Ocean View in Jeffreys Bay, said she has received no communication from the municipality; instead she learned about the disease after receiving a picture taken of a newspaper article in the Kouga Express, which was sent to her via WhatsApp.
She currently has 48 cows and 12 goats, which she farms on communal land with at least 10 other farmers.
“I did not know much about the disease, but was able to learn more about it when I read the article in the newspaper. I learned about the symptoms of FMD so I have some idea of what to look out for,” said Mdoti.
She said she has two shepherds who tend to her animals; however since most of the farmers on the communal land do not have shepherds, their animals are free to roam around which is a great concern.
Apart from the exposure her animals experience while at the communal land, Mdoti said she is also worried about the many animals that roam freely throughout the area.
To assist rural farmers she said that the municipality should provide a larger piece of land where animals have more space.
The Kouga Municipality was approached for comment on the issues faced by rural farmers, but no response was received at the time of going to print on June 12.
The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development said that an investigation into the origin and extent of FMD outbreak in the Eastern Cape is ongoing.
“Cloven-hoofed animals should not be moved unless it is absolutely necessary, considering among others that the East London farm sourced animals from multiple origins. This will allow for the department to find and quarantine further undetected, affected properties, to prevent any further spread of the disease,” the statement said.
“Various steps have been taken, including the placement under quarantine of locations that were confirmed to be positive for FMD by the Eastern Cape Provincial Veterinary Services. A full epidemiological investigation is underway to identify the possible origin, and any other properties that could be at risk.”
The statement indicated that farmers are further urged to observe biosecurity on their farms, and to protect their herds from becoming infected with the disease.
The statement further urged that should any suspicious clinical symptoms, including salivation, blisters in the mouth, limping, or hoof lesions, be seen, it should be reported to the local State Veterinarian immediately, and such animals must not be moved under any circumstances.
