Western Cape Premier Alan Winde, together with the MEC of Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism, Dr Ivan Meyer, has welcomed the arrival of an additional 50 000 Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccine doses in the province.

In a joint statement on Sunday, Premier Winde said the province's efforts to combat FMD continue to make strong progress.

"This latest shipment will further bolster our drive to vaccinate the province's entire herd and is critical in protecting our economy and jobs. I want to thank all our partners who continue to work with us in containing and ultimately eradicating FMD in our province," he said.

The latest allocation was made possible through a partnership with Dairy Management Consulting.

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More than 155 000 vaccine doses have so far been administered across 629 vaccination sites, with the support of 29 private veterinarians.

"As a province, we will continue pushing to procure our own FMD vaccines. This will further streamline and strengthen our response to the outbreak," the Premier added.

While the outbreak remains under control, the Premier stressed the importance of continued vigilance.

"We must remain alert and agile. By working together, we can protect both our provincial herd and our economy," he said.

MEC Meyer emphasised the importance of strengthened control measures.

"We continue to prioritise the strengthening of systems that monitor and manage animal movement across the province. These controls are one of our most important lines of defence against the further spread of FMD," Meyer said.

Apart from the assistance of Dairy Management Consulting, the Western Cape Government also thanked Nova Feeds for covering the cost of the flight that transported the latest vaccine consignment to the province. - SAnews.gov.za