LEGISLATURE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE TO MONITOR FMD VACCINATION ROLLOUT AMID STAFF AND INFRASTRUCTURE CHALLENGES

The North West Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, chaired by Hon. Sipho Dial, has committed to closely monitor the rollout of the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccination programme following an oversight visit to Welgegeval Village in the Moses Kotane Local Municipality.

While the Committee welcomed improvements in the availability of transport supporting the vaccination campaign, it raised concerns over critical operational challenges affecting the programme. These include a shortage of veterinary personnel, inadequate manpower, and insufficient cattle handling facilities, despite officials being expected to vaccinate up to 1,000 cattle per day.

The Committee further heard that farmers require disaster relief vouchers and called on the Department of Agriculture to urgently provide the necessary support to affected farmers.
Hon. Sipho Dial questioned the Department on its interim measures to address the shortage of handling facilities and urged it to develop a sustainable long-term solution, particularly for remote rural communities where poverty limits farmers’ ability to build such infrastructure.

The Committee resolved to conduct a follow-up oversight visit to assess progress in addressing the identified challenges and to ensure the FMD vaccination programme achieves its intended outcomes while safeguarding the province’s livestock industry.