Government ramps up cattle vaccination campaign to fight foot and mouth disease

Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, has vowed that the government was doing everything it can to control the spread of the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) that is affecting the red meat industry.

Speaking while visiting communal area in North West to oversee a Cattle Vaccination Campaign on Thursday, Steenhuisen said that they secure close to a million vaccines against FMD.

“They have arrived in South Africa and we are rolling out a vaccination programme in the provinces. There is a particular focus on KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, and North West. We have 274 live cases around the country," he said.

"We need to get on top of this as it is causing huge uncertainty and economic harm to the red meat sector."

Steenhuisen added that the visit to the North West was to meet with the community and understand their concerns.

“When we make policy, it is important to actually listen to the concerns of the community. We are also here so we can work on things to make it easier so we can encourage more people to vaccinate so we can get on top of Foot and Mouth Disease.”

Despite expressing satisfaction with the progress in the vaccination rollout, he conveyed concern regarding illegal animal movement from FMD areas.

“They move the animals illegally out of FMD areas. This is making the fight against the disease a lot harder. We need to make absolutely sure that the law is being adhered to. We are constrained and have to rely on police and have to rely on traffic services on a municipal and provincial level to help with the movement," Steenhuisen said.

"I'm very pleased with the vaccination rollout. We procured vaccines and we are going to procure more, and I believe there is now a pathway after the Indaba we had with the industry, government  veterinarians, and scientists that are going to lead us to become an FMD-free country.”

Agricultural stakeholders, including Francois Rossouw, CEO of the Southern African Agri Initiative (Saai), voiced their apprehensions regarding the FMD crisis.

Rossouw revealed that as of early September, there were still 274 unresolved outbreaks in five provinces, exacerbated by the inadequate number of new vaccine doses reaching the farmers’ herds.

“South Africa remains dependent on imported vaccines because Onderstepoort Biological Products still cannot produce FMD vaccine at scale, and the promised mid-scale plant for 2026 would cover a tiny slice of what’s needed. Until vaccine supply, traceability, and enforcement are fixed together, it’s spin, not control,” he said.

Rossouw added that South Africa has 12.2 million cattle; FMD control commonly requires two-dose primary courses and periodic boosters, especially for SAT strains. he said 900 000 doses was a start, not a strategy.

“Demand realistically runs into millions of doses of ring-vaccinating broad risk zones. Major commercial nodes have been hit (for example, Karan Beef quarantine), with trade restrictions from several neighbouring and export markets earlier in the cycle. That is not a system under control.”

Dewald Olivier, CEO of Red Meat Industry Services (RMIS), said that while notable progress has been made in controlling the Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak, they must acknowledge that industry role players remain under significant pressure.

“The task team created under the livestock VCRT is a critical step forward, ensuring that science informs all decisions and that the overall approach remains evidence-based,” he said.

Olivier added that this was a process, not an event.

“The sector urgently needs speed and precision in the execution of solutions, as the pressure on producers and value chain stakeholders continues to mount. The task team provides a platform for all industry role players to contribute meaningfully, but we must ensure that the plan translates quickly into decisive action on the ground.”

BUSINESS REPORT