Agreed upon conditions have been provided to local provincial veterinary services after Botswana  announced its ban on export of live cattle from South Africa has been lifted.  Reggie Ncgobo, spokesperson of the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development in South Africa, says the import conditions for export of cattle to this neighboring country were revised and a health certificate has been agreed upon.  Together with that foot-and-mouth (FMD) specific import conditions have been put in place. OFM News' Christal-Lize Muller spoke to him...

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These conditions include isolation of animals for at least 30 days whilst preparing for export under supervision of the veterinary authority and testing for FMD during this time. 

He says the department is also pleased to announce that quarantine has been lifted on nine locations where FMD was confirmed. Only ten properties still remain under quarantine and the country's veterinary services are continuously working with  affected farmers to resolve the situation on these farms. Good progress is being made in that regard.  

Ncgobo says FMD is not contagious to humans and the meat from animals that have recovered from the disease is safe for human consumption.  Permission was granted to the nine feedlots for the safe slaughter of animals from affected premises at two abattoirs designated for this purpose.  This process is continuing and more than 11 000 animals from farms under quarantine have been safely processed.  Once all animals on affected properties have been slaughtered, quarantine can be lifted and the farming operations can resume.  

Livestock owners and traders are, however, advised to take “buyer beware” precautions and to maintain basic biosecurity measures on their farms.  These measures will also prevent outbreaks of other contagious diseases in your animals, including Brucellosis in cattle and African Swine Fever in the case of pigs.  He says it is important to note that animals must only be bought from known and proven sources. Buyers must insist on a veterinary health declaration before animals are brought onto your farms and new arrivals need to be placed  in isolation until owners are satisfied of their health status.

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