South African farmers in the Eastern Cape province report devastating losses from a widespread foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak, accusing the government’s national vaccination programme of being implemented too late to prevent significant herd depletion and financial ruin.
The highly contagious viral disease, declared a national disaster in February, has affected all nine provinces with nearly 1,000 reported outbreaks. The Eastern Cape, home to over four million cattle—more than any other province—has been particularly hard hit.near Humansdorp, farmer Igsahn Felix pointed to a motionless calf, one of 14 fatalities from 128 infections in his 245-animal cooperative. “If we were vaccinated early enough, the disease wouldn’t have been here,” he said.
The crisis escalated after South Africa lost its FMD-free status in 2019, with outbreaks spreading since 2021. The government’s ten-year mass vaccination drive, launched in January, only received 2.5 million targeted vaccine doses in late February. Veterinarian Anthony Davis, on the government task force, acknowledged the untested nature of the new vaccine rollout: “This is going to be our test.”
Beyond animal deaths, farmers face severe economic strain. Felix’s cooperative of 22 subsistence farmers has lost 180,000 rands (over $10,700) amid forced quarantine measures prohibiting meat sales. Costs have soared due to purchased fodder as grazing was halted and mandatory vehicle disinfection at road checkpoints. Cattle breeder Doane Kaizer stated, “Sanitisation has a cost too… Things need to step up a bit.”
The outbreak has triggered international trade bans on South African beef from key markets including Zambia and China. Politically, it has intensified scrutiny on Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen, who cited the crisis when stepping down from party leadership. Political analyst Susan Booysen noted the issue has left the minister and his party in “a weak position” ahead of local elections.
The situation poses a significant threat to major agricultural enterprises, including the Woodlands Dairy in Humansdorp, which employs over 1,000 people. With the virus capable of windborne transmission and persistence in dung for months, the province is under extreme pressure to contain the spread through the new vaccination campaign while managing ongoing financial and operational burdens.
