The livestock industry is once again under threat from a resurgence of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), raising alarm bells for the agricultural economy. This comes just months after the industry appeared to be stabilising following years of devastating outbreaks affecting cattle, poultry and pigs.
Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at Agbiz, has voiced deep concern over the persistence of livestock diseases and their impact on the country’s farming fortunes.
“The livestock and poultry industries comprise nearly half of South Africa’s farming fortunes. Because of this large size, we worry about the sector when these industries encounter challenges,” Sihlobo explains.
He says the recurrence of FMD – after some relief towards the end of 2024 – points to serious biosecurity weaknesses within South Africa’s veterinary systems and vaccine supply chain.
Biosecurity gaps exposed
This weekend, the department of agriculture confirmed new FMD outbreaks in Mpumalanga and Gauteng, linked to auctions in Heidelberg, Gauteng. Although some animals showed no symptoms, lab tests confirmed the spread of the virus. As a result, China has imposed a temporary suspension on beef imports from South Africa.
“We can assume that this is the start of many temporary pauses on imports that we will see from our trading partners,” warned Sihlobo. “This will reverse the progress we have observed in South Africa’s beef export recovery.”
South Africa’s beef exports rose by 30% in 2024 compared to the previous year, reaching nearly 39 000 tonnes. The majority of these exports were destined for high-value markets such as China, Egypt, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia.
Beyond FMD, Sihlobo believes the broader issue lies in inadequate farm-level biosecurity measures and overstretched state institutions like Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP), the government-owned vaccine producer.
“For some time, the OBP has experienced challenges with vaccine manufacturing, and South Africa has had to rely on importing products from countries such as Botswana,” he notes. “Rooting out corruption and rebuilding capacity in these organisations is crucial to driving South Africa’s agricultural sector.”
He also called for greater support for organisations such as the Red Meat Industry Services and the National Animal Health Forum, which are collaborating with the government to address the ongoing crisis.
“The work should be accelerated and well-resourced,” Sihlobo urges.
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