Latest news with #KaranBeef
Daily Maverick
4 days ago
- Health
- Daily Maverick
New foot and mouth disease outbreak among Free State cattle, 270 cases now in 5 provinces
The rapid spread of the disease – and the top-notch operations that have been hit – underscore mounting concerns about South Africa's capacity to rise to the challenge of biosecurity and is a hammer blow to the livestock sector. A new foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak has been detected in the Free State, bringing a total of 270 cases spanning five provinces, the Department of Agriculture said. The latest outbreak occurred on a commercial farm in Moqhaka Local Municipality in the Kroonstad state veterinary area, the department said late on Monday (15 July). 'Trace-back activities are ongoing to determine the source of the infection, while farms in the surrounding 10km radius are undergoing surveillance to determine the possible extent of the spread,' it said. 'As of July 2025, a total of 270 FMD outbreaks have been reported across five provinces in South Africa. Of these, 249 outbreaks remain unresolved, while 21 have undergone resolution.' KwaZulu-Natal is the hotspot, with 191 reported outbreaks, of which 172 remain active. The Eastern Cape has also been hard hit, with 40 recorded outbreaks and 38 of them still active. 'Since May 2025 Gauteng has reported 32 outbreaks, North West has four open outbreaks, while Mpumalanga has reported three outbreaks,' the department said. The Gauteng outbreaks have included the world's largest feedlot, operated by Karan Beef, a facility renowned for its strict measures on this front. The rapid spread of the disease – and the top-notch operations that have been hit – underscore mounting concerns about South Africa's capacity to rise to the challenge of biosecurity and is a hammer blow to the livestock sector. There have also been concerns about potential shortages driving up beef prices, but agricultural economists maintain that the export bans triggered by the outbreaks will boost domestic supplies and possibly bring meat prices down. DM
News24
5 days ago
- Health
- News24
New foot-and-mouth outbreak reported in Free State
The vaccination process during a government visit to the Karan Beef Feedlot in June. Be among those who shape the future with knowledge. Uncover exclusive stories that captivate your mind and heart with our FREE 14-day subscription trial. Dive into a world of inspiration, learning, and empowerment. You can only trial once. Start your FREE trial now Show Comments ()
IOL News
26-06-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Government urges reporting of illegal animal movements to control foot and mouth disease
Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen has called on the beef industry to follow the new rules aimed at stopping foot and mouth disease Image: File Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen has called on the beef industry to follow new rules aimed at stopping foot-and-mouth disease and urged the public to report any illegal actions to help control the outbreak. IOL previously reported that South Africa has been battling FMD for several months, prompting key trading partners, including Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, and China, to suspend imports of meat and related animal products from the country. In response to the outbreak, the government has implemented new directives aimed at regulating the movement of cloven-hoofed livestock across the country. These directives require that all livestock movements be supervised and comply strictly with biosecurity measures. Only animals that meet these standards are allowed to move. Our visit to Karan Beef today forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen biosecurity and disease management protocols in partnership with both provincial authorities and the private sector. Together, we are swiftly moving to protect our beef industry. — John Steenhuisen MP (@jsteenhuisen) June 23, 2025 Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ 'Animals should only be moved if they have been checked and are free of foot and mouth disease. They should not be mixed with others in feedlots until their health status has been confirmed," Steenhuisen said. "We're calling on maximum cooperation from the entire value chain, from farm level all the way through to consumer, to assist us in dealing with this particular matter, reporting unlawful behaviour where it is observed and also making sure there's strict adherence to the regulations. It's the only way we're going to get on top of foot and mouth disease in South Africa" The minister also added that the government has allocated R43 million to purchase vaccines and has started vaccinating animals in affected areas, including Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. "We've put aside R43 million departmental budget to date for the purchase of vaccines. Now we haven't used all of that yet. The first batch of 900,000 vaccines arrived in South Africa last week and we commenced with the vaccination over the weekend," he said. IOL Business Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel
The Herald
24-06-2025
- Health
- The Herald
Agriculture minister says foot and mouth disease outbreak has cost the industry hundreds of millions
He said the spread was largely because of unauthorised movement of livestock and noncompliance at animal auctions. 'I've had to extend the disease management area twice because it has spread, and that's largely through unauthorised movement of animals and some auction events that did not follow the correct procedures,' he said. The minister issued a stern warning to those who flout disease containment protocols, saying criminal and civil consequences will follow. 'There's a criminal charge for it but also I believe those people expose themselves to civil recoveries. Places that have an outbreak as a result of unlawful behaviour would be able to claim damages, which would be quantifiable. A place such as Karan Beef can quantify the damage caused.' Steenhuisen said with advanced tracing technologies authorities are increasingly able to identify sources of outbreaks. He cited a previous incident in Humansdorp as an example of the consequences of ignoring regulations. 'That was on a much smaller scale and caused between R80m and R100m worth of damage to the dairy sector,' he said. When asked how long it would take to bring the outbreak under control, Steenhuisen said the timeline depends on public co-operation. 'It depends whether people adhere to the regulations. What we don't want is more spread or events. If you have people who move animals outside the disease management area or break the protocols, we're going to see breakouts in other parts of the country,' he said. Steenhuisen emphasised the virus only spreads through breaches of movement protocols, not spontaneously. 'The virus can only move out of the disease management area if people break the regulations. It's going to depend entirely on co-operation,' he said. Ramokgopa stressed the need for a uniform biosecurity approach across all farming sectors. 'It's about taking it to the next level to contain any additional spread of foot and mouth disease. What's been very encouraging is co-operation between the Gauteng department of agriculture and national government,' said Ramokgopa. 'We must ensure a uniform biosecurity standard as a country and as a province, regardless of whether you are a small-scale farmer or a large farmer.' To combat the outbreak, the government has allocated R43m to procure vaccines. Steenhuisen confirmed the first shipment comprising more than 900,000 doses arrived in South Africa last week, with vaccinations beginning over the weekend. TimesLIVE
The Star
23-06-2025
- Health
- The Star
South Africa launches FMD vaccination drive as 4 provinces confirm outbreaks
JOHANNESBURG, June 23 (Xinhua) -- South Africa has officially launched its foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccination drive, as outbreaks of the disease have been confirmed in four provinces of the country, said a senior government official on Monday. South African Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen on Monday visited one of the country's largest beef producer, Karan Beef, to oversee the vaccination of livestock in the company's feedlot in Heidelberg, near Johannesburg in Gauteng Province, where a FMD outbreak was confirmed earlier in June. "The first batch of 900,000 vaccines arrived in South Africa last week, and we commenced with the vaccination over the weekend," Steenhuisen told reporters during the oversight visit. "Obviously, there'll be a second batch on order, and we will continue to purchase vaccines in order to get this particular matter under control, not only here in Gauteng, but also in KwaZulu-Natal, where we have a major outbreak of FMD," he said. When asked to quantify losses associated with the FMD, Steenhuisen said losses were running in the "hundreds of millions." He confirmed that four provinces have been affected by the outbreaks, with KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng being the hardest hit, particularly northern KwaZulu-Natal. He also warned that individuals who fail to comply with the regulations, which cover the movement of livestock from disease management areas and the operation of auctions, will face criminal charges.
