By Thokozani Mazibuko
The Kingdom of Eswatini continues to lead in ensuring its livestock remains free of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD).
While neighbouring South Africa continues to battle the disease, Eswatini has remained free and ensured economic viability for farmers and business people.
Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) continues to pose a significant threat to global trade, particularly among countries reliant on livestock.
According to Dr. Xolani Dlamini, Director of Veterinary Services, the reality of FMD outbreaks is much closer than many might imagine, especially in regions vulnerable to cross-border stock theft or reckless importation practices.
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It is worth mentioning that FMD is recognized as the principal transboundary disease affecting the global livestock industry, with the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) classifying each country based on its FMD status.
“Eswatini, which achieved the highest status ‘Country Free from Foot and Mouth Disease where Vaccination is Not Practiced’ in 2000, quickly lost this recognition merely six months later due to an outbreak in the Lubombo Region.
In response, the nation invested over E150 million in an aggressive strategy to eliminate the disease, which involved the destruction of infected animals and vaccination of in-contact livestock,” the director highlighted.
Further, according to Dr Xolani, despite its efforts, Eswatini’s ongoing battle against FMD highlights the precarious nature of its trade relationships. The country regained its esteemed status in 2010 after a rigorous assessment by a WOAH scientific team, but the continuous threat of outbreaks remains a concern for both public health and economic stability.
According to Dr Xolani, the use of FMD vaccines, while a potential preventative measure, is a complex and costly endeavour. With several different serotypes of the virus such as A, O, and the SAT variants, vaccination can only be effective against specific strains, and there is no cross-protection available.
“This presents a unique challenge for Southern Africa, where the SAT serotypes are particularly prevalent. If Eswatini were to pursue vaccination, it would risk losing its FMD-free status and all lucrative export markets for cloven animals and their products,” he pointed out.
It should be noted that currently, Eswatini can only import livestock products from countries assured to be free from FMD and where vaccination is not practised.
Unfortunately, according to Dr Xolani, neighbouring South Africa (RSA) does not maintain an FMD-free zone but has established FMD-free compartments under agreed-upon standards aligning with WOAH guidelines.
This arrangement provides a critical lifeline for secured imports from RSA, albeit with strict adherence to established health protocols.
Moreover, he pointed out that the one troubling aspect of the ongoing FMD crisis is the apparent disinterest and lack of support for Veterinary Services from the leadership within the Ministry. Dr. Xolani emphasized that without adequate backing, veterinary professionals cannot effectively address the complex challenges posed by FMD.
As Dr. Xolani shares the growing concerns regarding FMD, it is crucial for both the public and private sectors to take this threat seriously.
It should be noted that collaboration between veterinary services, agricultural leaders, and government officials is essential for implementing effective biosecurity measures and ensuring Eswatini retains its FMD-free status.
“The nation’s livestock industry and its trading partnerships hinge on informed decision-making and a proactive approach to disease management.
In these challenging times, all stakeholders must come together, prioritize animal health, and protect Eswatini’s valuable agricultural resources from the ever-looming shadow of Foot and Mouth Disease,” the Dr said.
Minister of Agriculture, Mandla Tshawuka has highlighted that it is very important to keep Eswatini Foot and Mouth Disease free to retain international markets.
Eswatini is one of three countries exporting meat to Europe because it doesn’t have Foot and Mouth Disease.
“We have controls on imports through the permit system. That is why the milk supply was interrupted, as we stopped imports from the Eastern Cape after the outbreak was reported.
When animals come through either as recovered stock or imports, they are quarantined and tested before release to the national herd,” Minister Tshawuka responded.
Moreover, the Minister pointed out that Eswatini is always concerned when FMD comes close to our borders and that the outbreaks in KwaZulu Natal and the Eastern Cape are important as the former is due to proximity and the latter is because Parmalat imports milk from there.
RELATED: Eswatini economy faces ripple effects of South Africa’s Foot-and-Mouth Disease outbreak
“That is why our milk supply has been interrupted. It is a risk and supply problem respectively. South Africa has been battling Foot and Mouth Disease since 2021 and this year alone, there are 33 farms affected in the Eastern Cape and 132 in KwaZulu-Natal. How concerned is Eswatini about this?” the Minister clarified.
Furthermore, Minister Tshawuka highlighted that Eswatini appreciates the access to the European Union Markert (EU) and according to the Ministry, that would add that now more markets have opened in places like Taiwan, Dubai and other regions.
“It is important to keep our country FMD free to retain these markets. However, it is equally important to fill such markets. Currently, we do not have the capacity to supply these markets because our national herd has declined to very low levels where self-regeneration through breeding is not going to grow quickly enough.
So those markets are as good as nonexistent at this point because we can’t use them as we have no product to supply to their full capacity,” he pointed out.
According to the Minister, Eswatini is therefore encouraged by a recent announcement that the provinces of Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Free State and North West are free from FMD.
“The Ministry has established a multi-stakeholder committee to look at how we can bring animal and product imports without bringing FMD.
We have surveillance, testing, quarantine, permits and codon areas as control and prevention measures,” Minister Tshawuka gave reassurance.
