According to the Western Cape minister of agriculture, Dr Ivan Meyer, there have been no other cases of African Swine Fever (ASF) reported in the Southern Cape. This after outbreaks of ASF were reported recently in Mossel Bay and George.
Outbreaks started in January 2022 and veterinary officials estimate that about 370 pigs have died due to the disease in these areas.
“The areas remain under quarantine, and local municipalities are assisting with the disposal of carcasses and disinfection,” Meyer said.
It was the first time that ASF broke out in George and naturally pig breeders were on high alert. AFS was also detected in KwaNonqaba near Mossel Bay towards the end of January.
Upon confirmation of ASF detection in the areas, the province’s department of agriculture served a quarantine notice on pig farmers in the area. Community members and pig farmers were urged not to remove any pigs or pig products from the area to prevent further spreading of the disease.
Support and development programmes were made available to affected farmers through farmer information days which were hosted in Mossel Bay, George and Plettenberg Bay.
Meyer said 120 pig farmers attended the ASF awareness and pig information days. The sessions focused on the disease, biosecurity, and pig feeding.
“I urge farmers to continue to dispose of carcasses responsibly and in line with the guidelines provided by State Veterinary Services and the municipalities.
Farmers should also continue to implement strict biosecurity to prevent the entry of the disease into their herds,” Meyer said.
According to the department of agriculture, land reform and rural development’s ASF outbreak and surveillance update report, the Western Cape’s first outbreak was reported in February 2021.
The initial area of infection consisted of smallholdings in Mfuleni, north of Khayelitsha, but the disease has since spread to various areas in the City of Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Drakenstein, Breede Valley, Langeberg and Theewaterskloof areas.
In December 2021 Saldanha Bay on the West Coast reported its first outbreaks and in January 2022 outbreaks were reported in Mossel Bay and George. Mainly small-scale farmers and informal pig farmers have been affected.
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