As in China, many small farmers in Africa can not afford to have high biosecurity measures in place. Africa is sitting on a time bomb as the serious ASF outbreaks in China and other countries in the East could be repeated in Africa, said Dr Pieter Vervoort, chairman of the National Animal Health Forum (NAHF), at a media briefing this week.`
The Chinese governments over the years encouraged the establishment of small-scale farmers, not only to provide them with food and jobs, but also to prevent them streaming to the cities. These small-scale farmers can not afford to adhere to high biosecurity standards.`
This is also true of small farmers in Africa, he said. `
”The first thing farmers must do when they wake up in the mornings, is to think biosecurity,” Dr Vervoort said.
The South African Pork Producers’ Organisation (SAPPO) coordinates industry interventions and collaboratively manages risks in the value chain to enable the sustainability and profitability of pork producers in South Africa.
