The Department of Agriculture has announced a national ban on moving cattle to curb the spread of foot-and-mouth disease.
Cattle may not be moved from one property to another for a period of 21 days.
The Department says the ban will be reviewed on a weekly basis.
There will be exceptions, including if there is a veterinary permit for direct slaughter at registered abattoirs and for slaughter for ritual purposes.
Spokesperson for Minister Thoko Didiza, Reggie Ngcobo, says cattle that are already at shows, auctions and en route into the republic will be given 48 hours to be permitted to move to final destination after being sold.
He says farmers should contact their local state veterinary office for these permits.
He says the country is currently experiencing 116 incidents of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), involving farms, feedlots, and communal areas in KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, North West, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, and the Free State.
Only the three Cape provinces, the Eastern-, Western- and Northern Cape, do not have any cases of FMD.
The ban is currently only applicable to cattle, as this was identified as the main cause of the continued spread of the disease.
The ban will be declared in the Government Gazette, and any disregard for it will be regarded as a criminal offence.
Earlier this year, the government announced that there were dozens of cases in the Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, North West, and Gauteng.
Get more information here.
Related articles:
- Western Cape still free from foot-and-mouth disease.
- Western Cape farmers urged not to buy livestock from unknown origins.
A national ban on moving cattle is now in place to curb the spread of foot-and-mouth disease. Cattle may not be moved from one property to another for a period of 21 days. The suspension will be reviewed weekly.#Smile904FMNews
— Smile90.4 FM (@Smile904FM) August 16, 2022
