Botswana’s foot-and-mouth disease and beef trade policy

Neo Mapitse

Summary

Livestock production is the backbone of rural livelihoods in Botswana. The beef export market underpins the industry and is dependent on the control of foot and mouth disease (FMD). Botswana has hence adopted the policy for the control of FMD based on effective prevention, rapid detection and response, achieving eradication of the disease in the FMD-free areas. Botswana’s FMD control policy is formulated to maintain the beef export strategy and this has been the case since the pre-colonial era. Since agriculture has been the main employer in the rural areas, and livestock being the major contributor to the agricultural GDP, the sector has remained important to the government strategy of rural development and food security. The Government of Botswana has since independence developed and implemented policies that sought to improve livestock productivity to maintain and increase our beef and beef products exports, sustainable diversification of the sector, and employment creation. African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) are present in northern Botswana and are known maintenance hosts for FMD Southern African Territories (SAT) viruses. These buffalo are largely confined to northern game reserves and national parks. It is therefore unrealistic for the country to aim for complete freedom from SAT type FMD. For effective FMD prevention, the country has successfully implemented the concept of zoning or regionalisation with disease control fences as efficient barriers between high-risk zones and disease-free zones. Strict import controls, border security and quarantine measures are critical in reducing external and internal FMD challenge. Annual vaccination is carried out in cattle in the FMD high-risk areas to protect them from FMD and prevent possible sprouting of disease outbreaks. Public education is another strong pillar of the FMD control policy. This complementary strategy ensures early detection and control. Responses to the recent outbreak of the disease are examples of the effectiveness of this strategy. FMD control policy has not drastically changed from the time of independence in 1966 to now. The control policy is strongly linked to the beef and beef products export strategy. At independence the agriculture contribution to GDP was 42.7% and has dwindled down to 2.5% in 2003/04. Its average annual growth also dropped, mainly due to, among other things, endemic droughts and unfavourable conditions such as poor infrastructure, disease outbreaks, and poor organisation of local markets.

Grosse finanzielle und personelle Anstrengungen zur FMD Bekämpfung werden unternommen !
Leute die sowas schreiben : An einer VET-Kontrolle wurden uns leider 500gr Rinderfilet abgenommen, wir hatten die Kühlbox leider nicht gut genug versteckt.
sind definitiv eine Gefahr für Gesundheit und Leben von Tier & Mensch in ihrem GASTland und gehören des Landes verwiesen