Minister of Agriculture Mandla Tshawuka has called on African veterinary experts and policymakers to devise innovative strategies that will prevent transboundary animal diseases without crippling intra-African trade.
The Minister was speaking at the meeting where he highlighted the adverse effects of trade restrictions imposed to curb outbreaks, emphasizing that the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) should not be hindered by outdated disease control measures.
“What I have seen, especially in this country, is a lot of measures that are punitive and detrimental to intra-African trade like closing our borders as a means of preventing transboundary diseases like FMD,” he said.
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Tshawuka acknowledged that while countries must protect their livestock industries, they must also find ways to safely import genetics and improve animal production.
“Eswatini certainly does not want FMD, for example, to come here, but we do want to bring genetics from outside our borders to improve our herds.
How to do that, the experts surely can find a way,” he stated.
The minister recognized the significant achievements of GF-TADs since its establishment in 2004, notably the eradication of rinderpest in 2011.
He credited this success to international cooperation and the synergy between animal production, animal health, and veterinary medicine.
“This disease decimated our animals as Africans at some point in time but was effectively eradicated in 2011 through collaboration,” he said.
Tshawuka urged Africa to continue its active participation in setting international standards through organizations like the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), asserting that regional unity is crucial in global policy negotiations.
“Through this organization, we proudly take our place on the international table that formulates world animal health standards,” he noted.
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Eswatini, Tshawuka emphasized, remains resolute in its dedication to ensuring disease-free livestock production.
He praised the country’s ability to maintain its WOAH-recognized freedom from transboundary diseases without vaccination, a testament to effective veterinary services and stringent biosecurity measures.
“The most fundamental and basic of our goals is to end hunger and poverty among our people. Animal diseases present impediments in our efforts to attain food sovereignty and improve household livelihoods,” he stressed.
He warned that without proactive strategies, outbreaks could devastate the agricultural sector, threatening both food security and economic stability.
