AGRICULTURE NEWS - Afrivet’s IAP Executive, Tony Willis, says that the South African Feedlot Industry is under immense pressure due to various factors, including the present high costs of feed and supplementary products, cost of weaners and the current FMD challenges being faced. Now more than ever, there is a need to ensure that we play our part in stopping the rapid spread of FMD.

The SA Feedlot segment should be producing around 2.2 M slaughter cattle per annum, as South Africa has around 730 000 standing capacity at any given time, with just over 3 cycles per year taking place. 

With the current macro and micro economic factors affecting the industry, we produce around 1.6 M slaughter cattle per annum with just over 500 000 per cycle. Weaners are bought in at an average of 200 kg and slaughtered at an average of 475 kg. 

The animals will stand in a feedlot for 90 to 120 days, depending on the desired slaughter weight required, even with backgrounding taking place, with respect to some feedlots. 

We have around 57 feedlots standing more than 5000 head at any one time and 27 at less than 5000 head in South Africa. 

These feedlots are serviced by nine dedicated Feedlot veterinarians, with some of the smaller ones (< 5000 head) being serviced by veterinarians in mixed-animal veterinary practices. Most of the cattle feedlots are situated in the maize-producing belt around Gauteng/ North West/Mpumalanga and Free state province, with only a handful of the smaller feedlots in the Western and Northern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces.

To date, South Africa has 146 open foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks in the previous FMD-free zone, comprising three outbreak events. The first event started in May 2021 and is affecting KwaZulu-Natal Province. 

The second outbreak event started in March 2022 in the previous free zone in Limpopo Province. The third outbreak event also started in March 2022 in North West Province, which then spread to the Free State. This does not include the Limpopo outbreak of 2019.

Since the two confirmed outbreaks, one in our 2nd largest Feedlot in the Eastern Free State with around 80 000 head standing capacity and another in Gauteng with around 45 000 head standing capacity, a further 2 feedlots broke with FMD, one in the North West province and another in Mpumalanga.

No further feedlot outbreaks have been recorded since the Government placed a 21-day ban on the transportation of cattle in August and when most feedlots then implemented strict biosecurity measures. On the 8th September, the restrictions on cattle movement were amended to allow cattle movement under certain conditions, although movement restrictions still remain in place for three new Disease Management Areas (DMAs) in Limpopo, Kwazulu-Natal and Free State Province was lifted last week.
 
Biosecurity is the only way that a feedlot can ensure that FMD is not spread. (See Disinfection Diagram attached) Most feedlots in the affected areas have implemented strict biosecurity measures in the past few weeks, which restrict access to feedlots by non-feedlot associated vehicles and people, and strict measures are now in place - including the disinfection of vehicles and workers entering the premises. Suggested biosecurity practices, such as the spraying of vehicles when entering a feedlot and in the processing area where animals are processed on arrival, need to be continued, even after the FMD crisis abates. 

Further biosecurity measures should include the outside pens being sprayed on a regular basis (see the disinfection diagram attached).

“Do not underestimate the role of visiting people who have recently been on infected properties. Limited visitors and the disinfection of their clothing, shoes and vehicles is critically important,” says Dr Peter Oberem, Managing Director of Afrivet. 

People can also spread FMD and it is an important component of biosecurity to not allow the free movement of people onto your farm. 

Make sure that people who visit have not been in contact with FMD in the last 5 days. “If we all pull together and follow these vital biosecurity procedures, not only will we ensure that our food security concerns are reduced, but we can also once again have critical FMD-free zones throughout South Africa.”

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