The Western Cape province government says the ongoing foot-and-mouth (FMD) disease will not affect provincial food security.

FMD disease is a viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals, including cows, pigs, sheep and goats.

Western Cape Minister of Agriculture, Ivan Meyer, says the current biosecurity protocols will ensure that the province manages the situation effectively.

“For the citizens of the Western Cape, there is no shortage of meat; there will be no immediate impact on the price of meat. That is why the Western Cape cabinet has taken this decision with all seriousness and with all our resources, with a Whole of Society Approach, deal with this matter in the same way as we have dealt with the COVID-19 and we put all the resources and I want to thank the farmers and everybody working with us to make sure that we contain the spread of the virus,” says Meyer.

–SABC–