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The DA in the Western Cape welcomes the announcement by Minister Thoko Didiza that the ban on the movement of cattle to contain the spread of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) has been lifted.

Only certain hotspots remain under the ban, while FMD free areas, like the Western Cape, are free to resume normal business and get the meat industry moving again.

The outbreak never reached the Western Cape, with the Provincial Department of Agriculture doing an outstanding job of putting stringent bio-security measures in place. This success should also be seen against the backdrop of a lack of support from National Government, especially regarding the availability of SAPS officers to conduct roadblocks.

To ensure that the province remains FMD free, it is of the utmost importance that all stakeholders in the cattle trade adhere to bio-security measures.

The DA calls on the National Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development to learn from this experience, where they were always one step behind. FMD is manageable with good planning and proactive measures in place, and we hope that the National Department has the good sense to update their readiness plans and procedures so that such drastic measures aren’t needed every time there is an outbreak, our farmers and our country cannot afford such inefficiency.

Issued by Andricus van der Westhuizen, MPP - DA Western Cape Spokesperson on Agriculture