July 10 (Reuters) – South Africa’s government has agreed to allow the private sector to import, distribute and administer foot-and-mouth disease vaccines, farmer groups said on Friday, as the country steps up efforts to contain its worst outbreak in years.
The government has previously controlled all foot-and-mouth vaccine imports as well as the inoculation of livestock.
• Farmer groups, the Free State Agriculture and Southern African Agri Initiative as well as business advocacy unit Sakeliga, had sued the government, saying its response to the outbreak was “fragmented, slow and structurally incapable of matching the scale and pace of the outbreak”.
• The parties have now agreed to settle that litigation after the government agreed to allow private procurement and administration of FMD vaccines, Sakeliga said in a statement.
• The government will continue with its plan to vaccinate 80% of South Africa’s national cattle herd, estimated at about 14 million.
• The government has faced criticism from livestock farmers, who say they are suffering heavy losses over its handling of the outbreak.
(Reporting by Nelson Banya)
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