For the past two financial years, i.e. 2011/12 and 2012/13 the Portfolio Committee observed that there was little collaboration between the ARC and OBP on research activities on livestock diseases and vaccine improvement; and the Committee was particularly concerned with outbreaks of diseases of economic importance that sometimes lead to the banning of South African products in some export markets, e.g. foot-and-mouth disease, avian influenza, citrus black spot, etc. The Committee also observed that both entities, the OBP being a national key point, were also not getting sufficient Government funding to address challenges associated with outbreaks of diseases. Based on these observations, the Portfolio Committee recommended that the Department ensures that there is collaboration between the ARC and OBP on livestock disease-related programmes; and to consider increasing funding for the ARC and OBP, particularly for the refurbishment of research facilities and aged infrastructure.