South Africa has had a number of outbreaks of animal diseases in recent months that suggest there are weaknesses in the country’s biosecurity system – the measures in place to reduce the risk of infectious diseases being transmitted to crops, livestock and poultry.
The outbreaks pose a major challenge for South Africa’s domestic animal farming sector. Fears of weaknesses in the system have been raised by agribusiness for some time, suggesting that pressures and concerns are mounting.
Biosecurity breaches are not unique to South Africa. They have become a significant challenge globally. It’s not easy to put a monetary figure on it, but reports of disease outbreaks across the world, and indeed in South Africa, suggest the problem has intensified.
