Pretoria – South Africa’s Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen has appointed the Foot and Mouth disease Industry Coordination Council to support the implementation of the country’s national strategy to contain and control foot and mouth disease.
The appointment follows last week’s announcement of the national FMD strategy aimed at managing and controlling outbreaks across the country.
The council is intended to ensure the agricultural industry plays an active and coordinated role in the phased rollout of the strategy. Its work will cover vaccine distribution, traceability systems and strengthening disease control readiness.
Steenhuisen said the council will engage directly with him and that its contributions will be taken seriously.
“Government cannot do this alone. We need the full strength of the private sector, farmers and veterinarians collaborating with us. We now have a roadmap and I am accountable for its delivery. If we stay focused and work together, I believe we can restore FMD free status in less than 10 years,” the Minister said in a statement.
The council forms part of a triangular partnership comprising the Department of Agriculture, which is responsible for policy, regulatory support and resourcing, a Technical and Scientific Task Team providing scientific, veterinary and epidemiological expertise, and the FMD Industry Coordination Council, which provides operational insight, strategic guidance and unified industry input.
To ensure alignment between industry and national control measures, Steenhuisen issued a directive assigning the council the role of coordinating industry efforts. This includes mobilising sector actions, consolidating industry situational information, coordinating industry communication and supporting readiness for traceability and audit ready record keeping required for animal movement compliance and compartmentalised operations.
The council will also facilitate non statutory logistical support such as training, awareness initiatives and implementation monitoring. It will engage regularly with the Department of Agriculture and the Technical and Scientific Task Team to ensure alignment between policy, implementation and veterinary oversight.
Council members have committed to achieving collective outcomes that serve both industry and national interests. The members are Johann Kotzé, Bennie van Zyl, Theo Boshoff, Frikkie Maré, Fanie Ferreira, Marlene Louw, Bongani Msimang, Kobus Bester and Dewald Olivier.
The council began its work this week, holding its first formal meeting focused on aligning priorities and consolidating industry input. Weekly engagements are expected to follow to maintain momentum and ensure consistent progress.
Steenhuisen said the regular meetings would strengthen the council’s ability to present coherent and unified recommendations to government and the Technical and Scientific Task Team.
The council has requested an urgent meeting with the Technical and Scientific Task Team to review the national plan and ensure operational alignment across industry and government structures, a step viewed as critical as implementation intensifies.
“With aligned structures, consistent communication and disciplined collaboration, South Africa is better positioned to restore its FMD free status and strengthen the resilience of the livestock sector,” the Minister said.
Discussion about this post