There has been a positive reaction to gazetting of Section 9 last week of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) regulations.
Image: Bulat Khamitov/Pexels
There has been a positive reaction to the gazetting of Section 9 last week of new Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) regulations.
Beefmaster Group said that they welcomed the gazetting of the long-awaited Section 9 Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) regulation.
Roelie van Reenen, supply chain executive of Beefmaster Group, said that the revised regulation is significant as it provides much-needed economic relief for SA beef role players. “It allows stakeholders to operate very differently compared to previously and opens the door to a new era in how we conduct business, access markets and source cattle.”
Van Reenen added that he is extremely pleased that the regulation takes the latest scientific evidence into account regarding FMD controlled slaughter, referencing the findings from a recent study led by Professor Armanda Bastos of the University of Pretoria in collaboration with the Red Meat Industry Services (RMIS).
Beefmaster Group added that the study recommended removing requirements such as mandatory deboning, de-glanding and the disposal of offal under regulations, noting that these measures add considerable cost without a commensurate impact on limiting the spread of the disease. “This has now effectively been solved under the revised regulations.”
Van Reenen said that the beef industry has eagerly been awaiting the publication of the Section 9 Report since the government gazetted Section 10 of the Animal Disease Act in May 2026.
“Previously, producers who pre-emptively vaccinated their herds – even outside quarantine or controlled zones – were excluded from economic participation as they would lose market access. This is because these herds would then be viewed as FMD-positive. The new framework addresses this challenge.”
Van Reenen added that the new regulations have made the significant sacrifices and investment required to operate amidst the FMD crisis worthwhile.
“Operating in an environment with a high chance of disease infection requires substantial financial commitment, strict biosecurity protocols, and close collaboration between primary producers, veterinary professionals across the country and dedicated internal teams. The publication of Section 9 symbolises that the short-term pain and sacrifices were necessary to get us to this point,” he said.
Van Reenen said that the battle against FMD is far from over.
“Our biosecurity principles will not change, and we will not be relaxing our standards. The danger remains very real. The difference is that vaccination now gives us a weapon with which to fight. As an industry, we should also be looking at procuring our own vaccines rather than relying entirely on the government to provide it to us, giving us more agency and choice.”
Dewald Olivier, the CEO of Red Meat Industry Services, said that the new national FMD control measures is a turning point for the red meat sector and a real moment of hope. “For the first time we have one clear, practical, country-wide framework that guides us step by step, from the first suspicion of disease right through to the lifting of quarantine, replacing the uncertainty that has cost our farmers and value chains so dearly.
Olivier added that what makes these measures so important is they are built to keep farming and business going, even on an affected property.
“There are clear, workable rules for controlled slaughter, for milk and dairy, and for moving safely processed products to market so livelihoods continue and value stays in the chain while an outbreak is being managed. The move to digital vaccination records and lifelong individual animal identification is a major step forward that will strengthen the traceability our local and export markets depend on.”
“Above all, these measures give our sector something we have long needed: certainty, and a clear path back to normal.
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