Minister lifts ban on animal gatherings after FMD outbreak in SA
Didiza’s decision followed the briefing she received from the technical task team over the weekend. She said auctions would only be conducted under stringent conditions and that all livestock agents must be registered with the Agricultural Produce Agents Council.
“I wish to remind all livestock keepers of their responsibilities in terms of Section 11 of the Animal Diseases Act, 1984, that any owner or manager of land on which there are animals take all reasonable steps to prevent the infection of the animals with any animal disease, or parasite and the spreading thereof from the relevant land or animals,” Didiza said.
Didiza reiterated that lifting the temporary ban on gatherings of animals did not imply that such activities were safe. She urged all auctioneers to familiarise themselves with their implementing of measures to prevent their animals from becoming infected.
“I am aware of the social and economic impact this decision had on livestock owners, traders and the general sector stakeholders. I want to reassure the nation that this decision was not taken lightly and was implemented as a disease control measure,” she said. Economists said the industry had taken a serious financial knock during the three-month ban. They said it would take a while before farmers recovered economically.
Source: iol.co.za
