Amid recent outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), which have resulted in restrictions on livestock movement and have significantly impacted the country’s red meat trade on international markets, Agricultural Minister John Steenhuisen is leading the FMD Indaba, taking place on July 21 and 22.

Hosted in partnership with the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), the University of Pretoria, and Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP), this two-day Indaba will bring together veterinary and agricultural experts, along with key industry stakeholders, to confront one of the most pressing threats to South Africa’s livestock industry.

The Department of Agriculture (DoA) says the indaba marks a significant step forward in the ongoing efforts to combat FMD, providing a platform for stakeholders to deliberate on and develop long-term, sustainable solutions to strengthen the country's biosecurity systems.

“The recent flare-ups, in a number of provinces, of FMD means that we can no longer adopt a business-as-usual approach, and we're going to have to come together as government, industry and role players to determine a new national strategy about how we're going to deal with FMD in this country,” says Steenhuisen.

In a July 16 media release, the department notes that South Africa is currently experiencing significant and ongoing challenges with outbreaks of FMD across several provinces, including KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, and that it has spread to the Free State.

Steenhuisen and Deputy Minister Nokuzola Capa will serve as the main hosts of the indaba.

They will be joined by leading industry stakeholders to deliberate on and develop long-term solutions to combat FMD.

Having already inflicted significant damage to the multibillion-rand livestock sector, the department says the disease continues to threaten South Africa’s broader economy.

Therefore, the indaba presents a vital opportunity to unite expertise and resources to effectively eradicate this devastating disease, it notes.

The indaba will convene a range of multidisciplinary specialists to develop a coordinated and comprehensive approach to controlling and ultimately eradicating FMD.

Key strategies on the agenda include strengthening farm-level biosecurity, implementing effective vaccination programmes, and enforcing animal movement restrictions.

The DoA, in collaboration with the ARC, says it remains firmly committed to identifying and implementing sustainable solutions to FMD, adding that this indaba signifies a crucial advancement in the ongoing efforts to combat the disease.

By cultivating strong partnerships between government entities, academic institutions and industry leaders, the DoA says it is committed to developing precise and effective measures that will eradicate the disease and safeguard the long-term sustainability of South Africa’s agricultural sector.

“It is absolutely essential that farmers, auction houses, feed lots, abattoirs and the value chain come together to decide now, once and for all, how we're going to deal with FMD.

“For far too long, FMD has held us back from realising the true potential of the South African red meat sector, locally but also internationally. If we can get this right, it will be a game changer for South Africa, for our economy and the future of the red meat sector in South Africa,” Steenhuisen says.