National Red Meat Producers Organisation welcomes Foot and Mouth Disease vaccination strategy

The National Red Meat Producers Organisation said that they welcomed any strategy to try and curb and address the devastating outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease. This follows Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen announcing last week the Department's 10-year plan to vaccinate the entire herd and get South Africa FMD free.

Steenhuisen said that their strategy will be phased over 10 years, beginning with stabilisation and consolidation, before moving toward the eventual withdrawal of vaccination and final recognition of national freedom through vaccination by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).

Dr Frikkie Mare, the CEO of the National RPO, said while the Minister and Dr Mogajane outlined the vision of what they want to achieve and promised that a detailed plan would be shared, the confusion and uncertainty regarding the road forward remain. “The RPO has received a multitude of queries from producers who are as confused at this stage as they were previously. We agree with most of what was said during the media briefing, but the reality is that it seems more like a wish list. Everything mentioned is a goal that we want to achieve, discussions that will take place, and dates by which things should happen, but no concrete plan is on the table yet.”

Mare added that this is a real concern for producers, as it seems as if the Department is not in touch with the situation on the ground level. “The mention of the Eastern Cape, where FMD is currently under control, is a good example, as there have been four confirmed new outbreaks and ten more for which results are pending.”

Mare said that it was mentioned that consultations with industry did take place, but we are not aware of any consultative meetings with the major commodity organisations in the livestock sector. “Another example is the assertion that claims regarding vaccine unavailability in the country are false. It is a well-known fact that no vaccines are available for use by the Department (if there were, vaccinations would have taken place in affected regions). The only available vaccines are those that were privately purchased and paid for by the feedlots and the Milk Producers’ Organisation (MPO).”

Mare added that a major concern for producers is that no mention was made of how and when regulations will change to allow market access during the new path of vaccinating the entire country. “While it was said that animal movement control will be stricter and auctions can only take place if animals stem from “free zones,” the question remains as to what this means. Currently, a free zone is defined as an area where FMD has not been previously detected, or where affected properties were quarantined for approximately a year and subsequently tested and found to be free of the disease.”

Mare said that in August 2025, the National RPO stated that FMD is out of control and that immediate attention should be given to the matter. “The Department, however, brushed us off by disagreeing and stating that we should rather tell our members to follow the rules, as it is the illegal movement of animals that spreads the disease. However, three months later, the Minister announced that the whole country must be vaccinated, and during the latest media briefing, it was declared a state of disaster.”

Mare added that the National RPO remains willing to work with the government and industry to find solutions and implement actions to bring an end to FMD. “We again urge the government to open up communication, not just through press releases or briefings every month or two, but on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, providing factual information on our current status, the challenges and successes we are facing, and the anticipated timelines. We need to review and engage with proposed regulations, working together to ensure they are practically implementable while serving their intended purpose.”

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