Foot-and-mouth outbreak ‘catastrophe of immense dimensions’, says agriculture economist

The ongoing foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak continues to impact South Africa, as one of the country’s largest industries continues to take a massive hit.   

Independent agriculture economist Kobus Laubscher described the situation as a ‘catastrophe of immense dimensions’, with the disease spreading across all provinces except the Northern Cape.

The dairy industry in KwaZulu-Natal has been particularly hard hit, with farmers struggling to contain the virus due to the proximity of animals and the need to maintain milk production.

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“We are really struggling to contain the uncontrollable spreading of the disease, and that is a real concern. Within the value chain, the impact is still to come in terms of availability and the affordability of meat,” he said. 

Laubscher highlighted that among the challenges faced by farmers is the 12-month quarantine period.

“Once it’s been discovered on your farm, you quarantine for 12 months, and you are not allowed to move cattle. That is really a blow for the livestock farmers who need to move cattle,” he said.

While he praised the government’s efforts to form an industry-led council, the slow bureaucracy and the unnecessary time lag in importing vaccines from abroad continue to hamper any efforts.

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To listen to Laubscher in conversation with CapeTalk’s John Maytham, use the audio player below: