KwaZulu-Natal’s department of agriculture and rural development has reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with dairy farmers across the province to mitigate the impact of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).
While the disease has long threatened the livelihoods of beef farmers, recent clinical signs in dairy herds within the uMzinyathi and uThukela districts have raised concern among the dairy sector.
KwaZulu-Natal is a major player in South Africa’s dairy industry, home to 16 large dairy factories – including Clover Industries Limited, the country’s largest dairy producer – and accounts for roughly 30 percent of South Africa’s total raw milk production.
FMD threatens dairy sector
In an effort to address the outbreak, the MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Ms Thembeni kaMadlopha-Mthethwa, convened a strategic meeting with dairy producers at Orange Grove Dairy in Dundee. The department is currently investigating FMD cases reported on three dairy farms in uThukela and uMzinyathi, where clinical symptoms have been observed.
“The FMD outbreak in 2021 had a significant impact on communal and beef commercial farmers,” said kaMadlopha-Mthethwa. “Since then, dairy farms had been spared until these recent cases. Our veterinary services are on the ground, working alongside all industry role players to control and contain the disease.”
The department has issued veterinary movement permits as part of containment measures and reported a high level of compliance from farmers, which has helped to limit the spread of FMD. Since the outbreak, vaccination campaigns have reached over 700 000 cattle in KwaZulu-Natal, with 24 000 vaccinated in the uMzinyathi district alone.
Dave Durham, CEO of Orange Grove Dairy, stressed the importance of collaboration between government and the dairy sector.
“We sought this meeting to establish a partnership and find solutions to contain the disease before it reaches the N3 corridor,” he said. “This corridor is vital to the country’s economy, connecting Durban Harbour to Johannesburg, and must be protected at all costs.”
Durham raised concerns that if any parts of the N3 were declared a Disaster Management Area due to FMD, it could severely disrupt operations and cause price increases for dairy products later this year, affecting consumers nationwide.
“Our message to government is clear: let’s keep this corridor an ‘FMD free zone’ by working together on a KwaZulu-Natal-specific solution,” he added.
Collaboration key to containment
Addressing these concerns, kaMadlopha-Mthethwa acknowledged the validity of the producers’ fears regarding disaster management area demarcations.
“Their concern is that such declarations sometimes include areas without FMD infections, which can unfairly impact operations. They have even offered to procure vaccines to help curb the disease, and we agreed to take these concerns to the upcoming FMD Indaba in Pretoria to ensure we speak with one voice.”
She further emphasised the need for stronger partnerships between the public and private sectors.
“There is a great need to collaborate, leveraging each other’s strengths and addressing weaknesses effectively. While KwaZulu-Natal may not have large mineral reserves, agriculture remains our economic mainstay, and we must protect employment within this sector.”
As investigations and vaccination efforts continue, the department and dairy farmers remain united in their mission to safeguard KwaZulu-Natal’s dairy industry and the broader agricultural economy from the threat of foot-and-mouth disease.
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