Foot and mouth disease is under control: Aucamp

Agriculture Minister Willie Aucamp says the spread of foot and mouth diseas e is under control because of a good supply of vaccines.

He was speaking at Agri Limpopo’s congress in Modimolle.

Aucamp says 13.5 million vaccines have been imported and administered across the country.

He also says 10 million more vaccines will arrive in the country by the end of the month.

Aucamp says, “There are 1 385 000 dairy cattle in the country, they have already received more that 1.5 million vaccines, every single dairy cattle animal have been vaccinated and they are in the process of vaccinating them for the second time, we are rolling this pack off upscale actually I believe that if we stand together and if the private sector, agricultural organizations and government take hands, we will bit this foot and mouth disease crisis no doubt.” EL NINO PHENOMENON He says government will work with farmers to navigate the hot and dry weather conditions as the El Niño phenomenon is projected later this year and early next year.

Aucamp says the use of new technology can help farmers to survive the drought.

He says, “From government’s side we must assist them, we must help them to overcome these problems, some of the things that will make it easier for them, are the investments that were done to technology and in innovation, lets take for an example the seeds that we plant today, it is different from the seeds that we planted 10 years ago, they are more drought resilient it can grow better in drought condition, so there are things that can make it easier for our farmers, our farmers know how to farm, we must from government side allow them to do that.”