Question NW1629 to the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
31 May 2023 - NW1629
Masipa, Mr NP to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
Whether she engaged the (a) Agricultural Research Council (ARC) and (b) Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP) as well as Industry, including the National Animal Health Forum, and instructed that measures be put in place to ensure continuity in vaccine production and availability; if not, why not, in each case; if so, what are the relevant details in each case; (2) whether she advised that there should be closer collaboration between the ARC’s Onderstepoort Veterinary Research and OBP; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details of the outcomes of those engagements, including the total amount of vaccines produced after the engagement compared to past production? NW1870E
Reply:
(1)(a),(b) Yes. The Minister engaged both the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) and Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP) as well as Industry, including the National Animal Health Forum and instructed that measures be put in place to ensure continuity in vaccine production and availability. The Minister further advised that there should be closer collaboration between the Agricultural Research Council’s Onderstepoort Veterinary Research and OBP.
2. Yes. ARC and OBP have an established collaboration governed by a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA). This MoA covers collaboration in the areas of:
- Research, technology transfer and any possible joint ventures between the two entities;
- Vaccine development and information and technical advice;
- Consultancy, diagnostic and analysis services;
- Commercialisation, training, and advisory services; and
- Human capital development and physical infrastructure sharing.
The ARC and the OBP also collaborate in the production of blood vaccines. The ARC produces blood vaccines that are bottled and marketed by OBP. The full list of vaccines produced by the ARC for OBP is African Red Water vaccine; Asiatic Red Water; Anaplasmosis vaccine; and Heartwater vaccines.