Staff Reporter<\/p>\n\n\n\n
SOUTH Africa is intensifying efforts to contain foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), with increased vaccination, improved regulations and closer cooperation between government, farmers and veterinary professionals beginning to show progress, although thousands of outbreaks remain active.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking at a Red Meat Producers\u2019 Organisation (RPO) gathering, South Africa\u2019s Agriculture Minister Willie Aucamp reaffirmed government\u2019s commitment to supporting farmers and strengthening the agricultural sector as the country continues to deal with the disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe need you, as farmers, to assist us; your experience tells us what works on the ground,\u201d Aucamp said, emphasising the importance of cooperation between government and the agricultural industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Veterinarian Dr Peter Evans said 13 FMD events had been recorded on the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) database since South Africa lost its FMD-free status in 2019. Eight of those events have been closed, while five remain open, largely because outbreaks are still active and affected farms remain under quarantine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Across the five open events, 2 764 outbreaks have been reported, of which 899, or 32.5%, have been resolved. About 67.5% remain active.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Evans said there had nevertheless been significant recent progress, with 630 of the 899 resolved outbreaks being closed during July and early August.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He attributed the improvement partly to the impact of more scientifically based regulations introduced through recently published Section 9 measures, as well as the expansion of vaccination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe statistics therefore show both the scale of the challenge we still face, but also that we’re beginning to see meaningful progress in resolving outbreaks and moving affected farms out of quarantine,\u201d Evans said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He encouraged private veterinarians administering vaccinations to record both the number of animals vaccinated and the locations where vaccinations take place. Such information, he said, would assist with future planning and help identify gaps in mass vaccination coverage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Farmers were also urged to continue reporting suspected outbreaks so that authorities can prioritise affected and neighbouring properties for vaccination where appropriate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to a Department of Agriculture technical update issued in June, vaccination is being implemented on a risk-based basis, with the goal of reaching at least 80% of the national herd. Routine vaccination continues in designated protection zones, including parts of Limpopo and Mpumalanga.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The department also highlighted the importance of surveillance, laboratory testing, responsible livestock movement and on-farm biosecurity in containing the disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Infected properties are placed under immediate quarantine, with the movement of live cloven-hoofed animals and unprocessed products restricted. Where movement controls are difficult to enforce, authorities may establish a Disease Management Area covering multiple epidemiologically linked properties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The disease has also had significant economic consequences for South Africa’s red meat industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP) report commissioned by Red Meat Industry Services (RMIS) identified FMD as a major obstacle to the sector’s growth and international competitiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Beef production was projected to fall to 741 000 tonnes in 2025, a year-on-year decline of 44 000 tonnes, while outbreaks have resulted in movement restrictions and the closure of the Chinese export market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The report warned that if national control of FMD is lost, annual exports could stagnate at about 4 000 tonnes, potentially resulting in a R10.6 billion loss in gross production value over five years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If the disease is contained but continues to spread within affected provinces, the industry could face an estimated R1 billion shortfall in gross production value compared with baseline expectations, with full recovery in export volumes not expected until 2028.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Namibia also features prominently in the regional red meat trade. The BFAP report identified Namibia as one of the main sources of live cattle imported into South Africa. Over the past decade, South Africa has imported more than 2.4 million cattle, mainly weaners and slaughter-ready animals, largely from Namibia and Botswana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Namibia is also among the main destinations for South African offal exports. In 2024, South Africa exported about 8 700 tonnes of offal, with Namibia, Lesotho and Botswana identified as key markets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, South Africa has introduced measures governing the movement and export of livestock and animal products from FMD-affected areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Under the June 2026 Government Gazette measures, animals must be moved away from property boundaries, particularly where these border public roads or properties containing susceptible animals. Livestock movement is also restricted from properties neighbouring infected farms and other epidemiologically linked locations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dairy products from quarantined farms may only be exported if they undergo processing capable of inactivating the FMD virus in accordance with WOAH requirements, or if the importing country expressly agrees to receive them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meat from restricted premises is subject to further conditions, including slaughter at an approved export abattoir at least 42 days, or six weeks, after \u201cDay Zero\u201d, defined as the date of clinical resolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The country is also working to strengthen its veterinary and diagnostic capacity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A recent Dairy Monthly report highlighted efforts by a ministerial task team to develop a risk-based approach to vaccine distribution, establish vaccine standards and improve post-vaccination monitoring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The team has also identified alternative state and private veterinary laboratories that could assist with FMD surveillance testing, helping reduce pressure on Onderstepoort Veterinary Research while allowing it to focus on diagnosing strains and serotyping outbreaks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Western Cape FMD War Room has meanwhile reported success in containing outbreaks in the West Coast and Garden Route regions, while dairy industry initiatives have contributed to widespread vaccination of dairy herds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Evans said the immediate priority remains bringing the current spread of FMD under control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThereafter, we can embark on a progressive pathway to achieving WOAH recognition of South Africa’s FMD status,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
PICTURED: Disease Incidents: South Africa\u2019s FMD Map. The FMD map displays reported Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) cases as submitted through the RMIS Operational Centre. Source: https:\/\/rmis.co.za\/disease-incidents\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Staff Reporter SOUTH Africa is intensifying efforts to contain foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), with increased vaccination, improved regulations and closer cooperation between government, farmers and veterinary professionals beginning to show progress, although thousands of outbreaks remain active. Speaking at a Red Meat Producers\u2019 Organisation (RPO) gathering, South Africa\u2019s Agriculture Minister Willie Aucamp reaffirmed government\u2019s commitment to …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":399400,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-399399","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n