Africa-Press – Lesotho. Livestock farmers are being warned about the potential for an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in which South Africa has embarked on its intensive research in questionable areas.
The South African government through the Free-State agricultural sector has warned farmers of the potential dangers of foot-and-mouth disease after experiments on some farms.
According to a statement issued by the department on April 05 this year, it is continuing to investigate the potential for the disease after suspicion of cattle movement from local areas. northwest and beyond in Gauteng.
In an exclusive interview with Voice of the Nation, a wool farmer with Lesotho caterpillar Mr Khotsang Moshoeshoe said the Free-State district is very close to Lesotho and villages could not be affected if death is found.
this one is there. Moshoeshoe said the main reason Lesotho was infected was that lowland farmers grazed their animals in the Free State and often came with it.
He also pointed out that it can be passed on to people who buy animals in South Africa outside the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security because if the department is aware, the animals will cross the country under the terms of the law.
He added that the disease was very dangerous because it could spread to other people if they ate such an animal, adding that they too could be at risk of dying.
Moshoeshoe said the symptoms of an infected animal include anorexia nervosa, impaired ability to walk and walk, tremors, convulsions, and swollen mouth and elbows.
“The disease has not yet occurred in the country, and in South Africa where its main remedy is to keep animals in one place away from each other,” he said.
He said that if the disease were to spread to wool producers, it would be very difficult because it was a disease that the international community was paying close attention to.
“In the event of an explosion in South Africa, the authorities will call the International Organization for Agriculture (IOG) and the issue will eventually spread to the rest of the world,” Moshoeshoe said.
he explains. He pointed out that it was rumored that the disease was present in the Limpopo region of South Africa as in KwaZulu-Natal it had been present until the fall of last year.
He said the areas were far from Lesotho, however, KwaZulu-Natal was close to Mokhotlong, Qacha’s Nek and Thaba-Tseka districts but there was no strong animal trade between the two countries except for the two countries. and the movement of animals into the caravans.
“As fur farmers we are aiming to shear goats now, but we are fortunate that we will not be affected by the restrictions as it does not go green internally, it comes from South Africa and has been processed first,” he said.
he said. Moshoeshoe concluded by saying that to avoid this potential danger to Lesotho, their appeal as farmers is to stop the movement of animals in unregulated ways and to work with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
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