Farmers cautiously welcome FMD plan as industry pressure grows

Dewald Olivier -  Dewald Olivier - International Meat SecretariatOrganised agriculture has cautiously welcomed Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen’s 10-year phased plan to combat foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), which continues to cripple the beef and dairy industries in northern KwaZulu-Natal. Farmers have been battling the disease for more than a year. Restrictions on the movement of cattle, imposed to curb its spread, have halted auctions and dealt a severe blow to the rural economy. Dairy farmers have been particularly hard hit, as FMD directly affects milk production.Steenhuisen’s plan begins with immediate mass vaccination in hotspot provinces. The target is to vaccinate 90% of South Africa’s commercial cattle, 80% of communal cattle, and 100% of feedlot and dairy cattle within 12 months. Vaccines will be imported from Argentina, Botswana and Türkiye, supplemented by local production at the State-owned Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP). OBP is expected to produce 20 000 doses a week from March, with capacity set to increase towards a target of 960 000 doses. South Africa is also expected to receive five million imported vaccine doses by March. The department has applied to the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority to authorise the importation and registration of the Biogenesis vaccine. More than two million cattle have been vaccinated since the current outbreak began in 2022. Despite this, the livestock industry has suffered an estimated R5.6 billion in export losses since the start of 2025. Steenhuisen said a memorandum would soon be submitted to Cabinet to declare FMD a National State of Disaster, allowing government to rapidly deploy resources, strengthen movement controls and fast-track regulations.ADDITIONAL INFORMATION https://www.citizen.co.za/northern-natal-news/news-headlines/local-news/2026/01/22/farmers-cautiously-welcome-fmd-plan-as-industry-pressure-grows/ https://www.farmersweekly.co.za/agri-news/south-africa/steenhuisen-sets-out-stringent-10-year-strategy-to-contain-and-eradicate-fmd/