North West MEC Desbo Mohono says 210 farmers will be assisted during 2021/22 across the province to plant 13 500 hectares. She says an amount of over R55 million will be earmarked for this. Mohono adds from the 13 500 hectares, at least 12 000 hectares will be planted in the Ngaka Modiri Molema district, which include Mahikeng.

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South Africa needs to make use of ‘commodity based trade measures’ to control the spread of foot-and-mouth disease as opposed to implementing outdated control measures that don’t apply to this region anymore. This is according to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Afrivet, Dr Peter Oberem, who tells OFM News that at present the world adheres to very stringent foot and mouth disease control measures – under the guidance of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) – that are no longer relevant to the Southern African region. Oberem explain that foot-and-mouth disease – defined as a highly contagious viral disease of cloven-hooved animals and livestock such as cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and certain game species – tends to be severe in highly bred exotic cloven-hooved animals, mainly based in Europe. Animals in the Southern African region tend to exhibit milder symptoms of the disease as opposed to those in Europe.

The Afrivet CEO’s comment follow after a case of foot-and-mouth disease was reported near Mtubatuba in Kwazulu-Natal. The Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Thoko Didiza has further announced that Mtubatuba and surrounding areas – two districts and three municipalities – have temporarily been declared cloven-hooved animals stand still areas.

OFM News