TERUGVOER OOR DIE OOS-KAAPSE RPO-KONGRES
Die Oos-Kaap RPO-kongres is op 1 Augustus 2024 by Mentors Country Estate in Jeffreysbaai gehou. ‘n Goed bygewoonde kongres het baie suksesvol geëindig nadat baie sake wat aan die orde gestel is, positiewe terugvoer ontvang het.
Bek-en-klouseer was ‘n belangrike onderwerp gegewe die huidige uitbreking in die Oos-Kaap, hoofsaaklik in die Kouga munisipaliteit-gebied. Ander onderwerpe soos naspeurbaarheid, biosekuriteit, veediefstal en siekteverslaggewing sowel as ekonomiese voorspellings is ook bespreek.
Dewald Olivier van die RMIS het bek-en-klouseer bespreek en genoem dat hierdie siekte ons siekte is om te bestuur. Ons kan nie al die werk aan die regering oorlaat nie, want hulle sal nie die uitwerking van die siekte soos die veebedryf voel nie. Die RMIS het na internasionale veeartse uitgereik vir leiding oor bek-en-klouseer, en die reaksie het aangedui dat Suid-Afrika die siekte slegs deur inenting bestuur sal kan word. Dit raak almal in die veebedryf verskillend en die enigste manier waarop dit vir almal sal werk, is as daar ‘n entstof vervaardig word wat oor die lang termyn kan werk.
Ons moet ‘n plan opstel en saamwerk om ‘n oplossing te vind, en naspeurbaarheid is ‘n belangrike stap in die regte rigting en sal uiteindelik verpligtend word, het Oliver gesê. Hy het alle afgevaardigdes verseker dat die RMIS hard werk om ‘n oplossing te vind en dat die bedryf hoopvol moet bly.
Dan Kriek van die NWKV het die tema van die kongres, positiwiteit deur moeilike tye, aangespreek. Veeboere gaan tans deur ‘n uiters moeilike tyd, pryse is laag, en die ekonomie is onvoorspelbaar. Suid-Afrikaanse boere produseer van die beste gehalte vleis in die wêreld en in krisistye tree ons professioneel op en vind ‘n alternatiewe manier om vorentoe te beweeg terwyl ons ‘n oplossing vind. Kriek het verklaar dat die NWKV deel is van ‘n reuse landbou-uitvoer suksesverhaal; die wolboere is die ruggraat van plattelandse dorpe regoor Suid-Afrika, en hy glo dit is die beste voorbeeld van ‘n vennootskap tussen kommersiële en kleinskaalse boere. Wol is ‘n natuurlike produk wat geoes word sonder om die dier seer te maak en dit groei weer. Dus is die nie net volhoubaar nie, dit maak ook voorsiening vir inklusiewe groei, en dit toon ook groot sukses by geleenthede soos die Karoo Winterwolfees en Nampo.
Misdaadaanmelding en dieresiektes is deur Jason Kümm van Agri Oos-Kaap in oënskou geneem. Hy het beklemtoon dat misdaadaanmelding baie belangrik is aangesien dit die hoë misdaadgebiede aandui en die Agri Ops-koördineringsentrum van die SAPD toelaat om boere by te staan en te voorkom dat die misdade herhaal word. Die SAPD en Agri Oos-Kaap sal na die statistieke kyk en al hul hulpbronne gebruik vir die gebied wat die meeste misdaad aanmeld, maar in werklikheid is die misdaad in daardie gebied nie ‘n groot probleem nie.
Kümm het mense aangemoedig om enige misdaad in hul gebied in die Oos-Kaap by die Agri Ops-koördineringssentrum aan te meld, want as hulle genoeg inligting en bewyse het, kan hulle dit na die staat neem vir bystand. Die Agri Ops-kamer het die aanmelding van dieresiektes as gevolg van die bek-en-klouseer-uitbreking in die Oos-Kaap begin, aangesien die staatsveeartse ongelukkig nie die hulpbronne het om hierdie taak uit te voer nie. Sonder die Agri Ops-kamer sou daar in die hele provinsie ‘n verbod op die verskuiwing van diere gewees het, maar gelukkig het dit verseker dat lede kon voortgaan met hul boerdery-aktiwiteite.
Die Agri Ops Koördineringsentrum doen goeie werk in die Oos-Kaap en laat hul lede toe om Eskom-foute, uitbrekings van plae, siekte-uitbrekings, klagtes oor paaie, landelike veiligheid en misdaad, rampbestuur en roofdierbestuur aan te meld.
Die Oos-Kaap RPO Kongres was ‘n groot sukses en die goeie terugvoer het die afgevaardigdes/boere hoop gegee om voort te gaan en raad gegee oor hoe om positief te bly gedurende hierdie moeilike tye. Ons is opreg dankbaar vir elke gasspreker en deelnemer wat saamgekom het om oplossings te vind
FEEDBACK ON THE EASTERN CAPE RPO CONGRESS
The EC RPO congress was held on 1 August 2024 at Mentors Country Estate in Jeffreys Bay. A well-attended congress ended very successfully after many matters risen received positive feedback.
Foot and mouth disease (FMD) was an important topic due to the current outbreak in the Eastern Cape, mainly in the Kouga Municipality area. Other topics such as traceability, biosecurity, stock theft and disease reporting as well as economic predictions were discussed.
Dewald Olivier from RMIS, the first guest speaker of the day, discussed FMD and mentioned that this disease is our disease to manage, and we cannot leave all the work to the government as they wouldn’t feel the effects of the disease like the livestock industry would. The RMIS reached out to international veterinarians for guidance on FMD, and the response indicated that South Africa will only be able to manage the disease through vaccination. This affects everyone in the livestock industry differently and the only way this will work for everyone is if there is a vaccine manufactured that could work long-term.
We need to write up a plan and work together to find a solution, and traceability is a big step in the right direction and will eventually become compulsory, Oliver said. He assured all delegates that the RMIS is working hard to find a solution and the industry should stay hopeful.
Dan Kriek from the NWGA addressed the theme of the congress, positivity through tough times. Livestock farmers are currently going through an extremely difficult time, prices are low, and the economy is unpredictable. South African farmers produce some of the best quality meat in the world and in time of crisis we act professionally and find an alternative way to move forward while finding a solution. Kriek stated that the NWGA is part of a huge agricultural export success story; the wool farmers are the backbone of rural towns across South Africa, and he believes they are the best example of a partnership between commercial and small-scale farmers. Wool is a natural product which is harvested without hurting the animal and it grows back. It drives towards sustainability and allows for inclusive growth, and it also shows great success at events such as the Karoo Winter Wool Festival and Nampo.
Crime reporting and animal diseases was covered by Jason Kümm from Agri Eastern Cape. He highlighted that crime reporting is very important as it indicates the high crime areas and allows the Agri Ops Coordination Centre or the SAPS to assist farmers and prevent the crimes from reoccurring. SAPS and Agri Eastern Cape would look at the statistics and use all their resources for the area that reports the most crime but in actual fact the crime in that area is not a huge problem.
Kümm encouraged people to report any crime in their area in the Eastern Cape to the Agri Ops Coordination Centre because if they have enough information and proof they can take it to the state for assistance. The Agri Ops Room has initiated the reporting of Animal Diseases due to the FMD outbreak in the Eastern Cape, as the state vets unfortunately do not have the resources to perform this task. Without the Agri Ops Room there would have been a province wide ban on moving animals but thankfully this ensured that their members could carry on farming.
The Agri Ops Coordination Centre does great work in the Eastern Cape and allows their members to report Eskom faults, pest infestations, disease outbreak, roads complaints, rural safety and crime, disaster management and predator management.
The EC RPO Congress was a great success, and the great feedback has given the delegates/farmers hope to carry on and advice on how to stay positive during these difficult times. We are truly grateful to every guest speaker and attendee for coming together to find solutions.