New requirements are in the process of finalisation to accommodate the current status of the disease in the country as well as the envisaged vaccination roll-out. To ease restrictions on affected farmers as soon as possible, the veterinary working group agreed on guidelines that can be implemented now, pending the formal amendment of the requirements for the control and management of foot-and-mouth disease.

All cloven hoofed animals on farms or premises infected or suspected of being infected must be individually identified and recorded in a database to ensure lifelong traceability.

On uninfected farms or premises, all vaccinated cloven hoofed animals must also be individually identified and recorded in a database to ensure lifelong traceability.

Single pasteurisation of milk will be required for local consumption. Photo: Pexel

No F branding will be required for suspected/infected and/or vaccinated animals.

For slaughter, earlier than three months after day zero, the current requirements and risk mitigation for slaughter at designated abattoirs remain in place. From three months after day zero, controlled slaughter from quarantined premises can take place at any registered non-export abattoir.

After three months, post day zero, meat must be subject to maturation, but there will be no further risk mitigation and no loss of parts of the carcass. No animals originating from properties under restriction from FMD may be slaughtered for the export market, unless expressly agreed to by the importing country.

All vaccinated cloven hoofed animals must be recorded in a database. Photo: Pexel

For the movement of milk from quarantined farms, only single pasteurisation will be required for local consumption.

Milk originating from properties under restriction for FMD may not be processed for the export market, unless expressly agreed to by the importing country.

There will be no veterinary restrictions on milk from FMD vaccinated animals from farms/premises not under quarantine and not infected or suspected of being infected with foot-and-mouth disease.

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OFM Agri/Isabel van Tonder sm