The KZN government has vowed to protect livelihoods amid the ongoing outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in the province.

Zululand Observer reports that this was announced by KZN Premier Thami Ntuli during a media briefing on the measures taken by the government to curb the spread of FMD, held in Durban yesterday.

KZN is presently the epicentre of the FMD outbreak. With a population of some 2.5 million cattle, the province has recorded 207 cases of the disease, with 187 unresolved.

Speaking during the briefing, Ntuli remarked that the outbreak is affecting the province socially and financially, as food security is under strain.

“Apart from food security at risk, livelihoods are also affected as the multi-billion rand farming industry employs hundreds of thousands of workers who have more than 639 000 mouths to feed,” said Ntuli.

He reiterated that the provincial government is fully committed to curbing the spread of FMD to safeguard employment, economy and food security.

Ntuli further noted that the outbreak is also negatively affecting commercial, communal and dairy farmers, as well as feedlots. It also impacts communities that use animals to perform traditional or religious ceremonies, as the cattle movement ban remains one of the measures to curb the spread.

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