Question NW338 to the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
08 March 2023 - NW338
Montwedi, Mr Mk to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
What measures has her department put in place to deal with the shortage of vaccines at the Onderstepoort Biological Products which is experiencing a backlog in manufacturing live vaccines as the Bluetongue disease outbreak has become a ticking time bomb?
Reply:
The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) has been actively involved in ensuring that the Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP) supplies the need of the farmer. Relating to the backlog, the DALRRD has been assisting the OBP to liaise with the private sector partnership to alleviate the backlog and finding sustainable solution.
The capacity of the Agricultural Research Council to produce sufficient quantities of Foot and Mouth Disease and other vaccines is being improved.