Farm level financial implications of foot-and-mouth disease control in extensive beef production systems

Date
2021-03
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH SUMMARY : The livestock sector, to which cattle contribute greatly, is a key component of agricultural production in South Africa. Beef production and consumption has increased over 30% in the last 10 years, a significant increase in volume and in value. Livestock farming is the only viable agricultural activity in large parts of the country. Approximately 80% of South African’s agricultural land is only suitable for extensive grazing. Production challenges arise as a result of numerous factors such as climate change, government policy and animal disease. Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is one such challenge facing the industry. FMD is a clinically acute, vesicular disease affecting cloven-hoofed animals which include domestic ruminants, swine as well as more than 70 species of wildlife. The Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) lists it as disease type A; a disease with the potential for rapid and far reaching spread within a country and between counties, causing severe economic impact. FMD is endemic to Southern Africa and so its impact is often felt; reservoirs of the disease exist in wildlife populations throughout the region. The impact of FMD can be seen as direct losses or indirect losses. Direct losses refer to reduced production and structural changes in the herd in the event of an outbreak on one’s farm. The indirect losses refer to the cost of disease control and limited market access as a result of control policies. The indirect loss on commercial producers in extensive production systems is the focus of this study. This study attempts to evaluate the financial impact of FMD control policies, put in place in the event of an outbreak to control and stop the spread of the disease. This was done by developing two whole-farm multi-period budgets for a typical extensive commercial beef cattle farm using two types of production systems. A fixed breeding season system and a year-round breeding season production system were used, during a production cycle where an outbreak of FMD occurred and control policies were implemented. Scenarios were run in order to simulate the disease outbreak occurring at different times during the production cycle as well as larger magnitudes of outbreaks. The results show that FMD control policies can have an adverse impact on both production systems which were investigated. The year-round breeding season was financially less severely impacted than the fixed breeding season. When the outbreak occurs has a noticeable impact on both production systems and the resulting financial impact thereof.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Die lewendehawesektor, waartoe beesboerdery grootliks bydra, is ʼn sleutelkomponent van landbouproduksie in Suid-Afrika. Beesvleis produksie en verbruik het met meer as 30% toegeneem oor die laaste 10 jaar, ʼn aansienlike toename in volume en waarde. Lewende hawe boerdery is die enigste lewensvatbare landbou-aktiwiteit in groot dele van die land. Ongeveer 80% van Suid-Afrika se grond is slegs geskik as ekstensiewe weiding. Produksie uitdagings kom voor weens verskeie faktore soos klimaatsverandering, owerheid beleid, en dieresiektes. Bek-en-klouseer is een so ʼn uitdaging wat die industrie in die gesig staar. Bek-en-klouseer is ʼn kliniese akute, vesikulêr siekte wat hoef-diere affekteer wat insluit makgemaakte viermaagdiere, varke en meer as 70 spesies wild. Die organisasie vir dieregesondheid lys dit as ʼn Tipe A siekte: ʼn siekte met die potensiaal vir snel- en wye verspreiding binne ʼn land of tussen lande met ernstige ekonomiese impak. Bek-en-klouseer is endemies tot Suid-Afrika en kom dikwels voor, poele van die siekte kom voor in wild populasies dwarsoor die streek. Die impak van bek-en-klouseer kan direkte- of indirekte verliese wees. Direkte verliese verwys na produksie en strukturele veranderings in die kudde tydens ʼn uitbraak op die plaas. Indirekte verliese verwys na die koste van siekte bestuur en die beperking op marktoegang as gevolg van beheer maatreëls. Die indirekte verlies vir kommersiële produsente in ekstensiewe omstandighede is die fokus van hierdie studie. Die studie poog om die finansiële impak van bek-en-klouseer beheermaatreëls te evalueer in die geval van ʼn uitbraak ten einde die verspreiding van die siekte te beperk. Dis is gedoen deur die ontwikkeling van twee geheelplaas multi-periode modelle vir ʼn tipiese ekstensiewe kommersiële beesplaas vir twee verskillende produksiestelsels. ʼn Vaste teelseisoen en ʼn heeljaar teelstelsel is gebruik gedurende die uitbraak van bek-en-klouseer waartydens beheermaatreëls sou intree. Scenario’s is gebruik om die siekte uitbraak te simuleer indien dit tydens verskillende periodes sou voorkom gedurende die produksie-siklus, asook langer periodes van inperking. Die resultate wys dat bek-en-klouseer beheermaatreëls ʼn negatiewe impak kan hê op beide produksie stelsels wat ondersoek is. Die velaar teel-stelsel word egter finansieel minder beïnvloed as die vaste teel seisoen. Die tydsperiode waar ʼn uitbraak sou voorkom sal dus ʼn belangrike impak effek uitoefen op beide die stelsels.
Description
Thesis (MScAgric)--Stellenbosch University, 2021.
Keywords
Foot-and-mouth disease -- Control -- Economic aspects -- South Africa, Beef cattle -- Diseases -- Economic aspects -- South Africa, UCTD
Citation