South Africa has launched a comprehensive 10-year national vaccination programme aimed at immunising nearly 20 million cattle against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), a highly contagious livestock infection currently ravaging herds and disrupting crucial export markets.
The initiative, announced by Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen, addresses a severe outbreak that began in 2021 and has since spread to eight of South Africa’s nine provinces. FMD, while not a threat to human health, causes fever, blisters, and often death in cloven-hoofed animals including cattle, sheep, and goats. The minister stated the outbreak has imposed a significant “financial and emotional toll” on the nation’s farmers, who have faced “unprecedented challenges” since South Africa lost its official FMD-free status in 2019.
The four-phase plan prioritises rapid disease control. Vaccines are being sourced from Argentina, Turkey, and Botswana, while domestic production is accelerated. A new local manufacturing line is scheduled to produce 20,000 doses weekly initially, with capacity set to scale to 960,000 doses. The primary objective is to reduce outbreak incidence by over 70% within 12 months in the highest-risk provinces. To date, approximately two million cattle have been vaccinated under the new drive. Concurrently, the government is moving to declare the outbreak a national disaster, which would grant additional intervention powers.
The response follows sustained pressure from the agricultural sector. Despite the government’s efforts, the Southern Africa Agricultural Initiative, a farmers’ lobby group, argues the plan is insufficient, claiming it fails to provide immediate solutions for producers facing a “survival crisis.” Many affected farmers have resorted to culling their own herds to prevent further spread, and the true mortality toll remains unclear due to underreporting.
The economic stakes are substantial. South Africa exported 38,600 tonnes of beef in 2024, primarily to the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, according to the National Agricultural Marketing Council. The ongoing crisis has already triggered significant trade disruptions; China, a key market, suspended South African beef imports over FMD concerns. Regaining FMD-free status is therefore critical for restoring full access to international markets and stabilising the domestic beef industry.
The vaccination programme represents the government’s most substantial coordinated effort to contain the outbreak. Its success will hinge on efficient rollout, continued vaccine supply, and cooperation across commercial and communal farming sectors. The coming year will be pivotal in determining whether the targeted 70% reduction in cases is achievable, with profound implications for South Africa’s agricultural exports and rural economies.
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