Question NW1442 to the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
15 May 2023 - NW1442
Montwedi, Mr Mk to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
Whether the Republic has enough vaccines available for African horse sickness; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details of the available vaccines?
Reply:
No. The Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP) has been experiencing challenges because of aging infrastructure which has resulted in reduced vaccine production.
The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, working with the OBP is implementing a sustainable vaccine production strategy, central to which is finding a competent vaccine manufacturing partner to contract manufacture vaccines on-behalf OBP. A consistent availability of vaccines will alleviate the challenge of farmers not finding vaccines when it is time for vaccination.