The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the North West is pleased with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s announcement that the moratorium on livestock and game auctions will be lifted.
This comes after the outbreak of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) in Limpopo last year led to a moratorium on auctions in Gauteng, North West, Mpumalanga and Limpopo.
The agricultural sector and wildlife industry are the North West’s biggest economic driver. It is therefore imperative that every precaution is taken to prevent this highly contagious disease from spreading.
The outbreak of FMD poses a serious threat to the red meat industry and therefore the necessary resources must be made available to prevent the spread of FMD in order to ensure food security in the province.
The DA will work closely with agricultural organizations such as Agri North West, Transvaal Agricultural Union (TAU), Feedlot Association, Red Meat Producers Organization and other stakeholders, to assist in combatting the spread of FMD.