Stakeholders urge strict compliance as FMD battle continues

As South Africa navigates the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak, organised agriculture, the government, and commodity organisations have raised concerns about the lasting impact on the operations and livelihoods of farmers.

Stakeholders said that if FMD is not curbed, there is a potential for job losses in the sector, which could impact the entire livestock value chain and the country’s economy.

National African Farmers’ Union (Nafu) Mpumalanga urged farmers to strictly comply with all veterinary regulations, movement controls, and biosecurity protocols as prescribed by the department of agriculture.

Strengthening the fight against FMD

“Nafu Mpumalanga calls upon government to strengthen veterinary services, accelerate vaccination programmes, improve border control measures, and provide financial and technical support to affected farmers.

“Industry stakeholders to collaborate with farmer organisations in sharing information, resources, and early warning systems to prevent further spread. Nafu further urges its members not to move livestock from restricted or affected areas and to immediately report any suspected cases of FMD to local state veterinarians,” the organisation stated.

According to Nafu, the fight against FMD requires a coordinated national effort. “Nafu Mpumalanga remains committed to protecting the interests of its members, supporting disease control initiatives, and ensuring the sustainability of the livestock sector in South Africa.”

Minister of agriculture John Steenhuisen announced that, following last week’s announcement of South Africa’s national strategy to contain and control the disease, he has appointed the FMD Industry Coordination Council to support its implementation.

“I am fully committed to doing whatever it takes to beat FMD. This council will engage directly with me, and its input will be taken seriously. Government cannot do this alone; we need the full strength of the private sector, farmers and veterinarians collaborating with us.

“We now have a roadmap, and I am accountable for its delivery. If we stay focused and work together, I believe we can restore FMD-free status in less than ten years,” he said.

Steenhuisen explained that the council was established to ensure that industry plays an active, coordinated role in supporting the phased rollout of the FMD strategy, including vaccine distribution, traceability and disease control readiness.

Meanwhile, Agri Western Cape said the situation in the Western Cape remained stable, with no further outbreaks reported on the index farm since the initial case late last year. All monitoring and clinical inspections confirm that the disease is confined to the original farm.

The organisation said all sheep on the index farm have already been culled in accordance with the prescribed FMD protocols. Approval was granted to slaughter cattle on the index farm.

“We are awaiting results for all the samples that were taken on the surrounding farms and hope to receive them as soon as possible,” said Jannie Strydom, the CEO of Agri Western Cape.

Containing and managing the spread

According to Agri Western Cape, a second set of laboratory tests for the farms within the quarantine area remains critical before it will consider lifting the quarantine.

“Until these results are available and satisfactory, all existing quarantine measures remain in place.”
Agri Western Cape

“The current actions in the Western Cape are in line with the minister of agriculture’s national FMD-control strategy, which focuses on strict movement control, improving surveillance, vaccination, and strengthening national traceability through improved systems and documentation.

“Producers and role players are once again urged not to relax biosecurity measures and to continue to apply strict protocols on farms in terms of vehicles and animal movement,” the organisation said.

The Gauteng department of agriculture and rural development said while the outbreak presents serious challenges, Gauteng Veterinary Services are working tirelessly to contain and manage the spread of the disease.

“Central to the difficulty in accelerating the provincial response is the limited and delayed access to vaccines. This remains the most significant stumbling block in the fight against FMD and is an issue that requires urgent national attention.

“Despite these constraints, Gauteng has acted decisively by redirecting R16 million from its Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (Casp) funded projects to intensify its response to the outbreak,” the Gauteng department stated.

Delay in vaccine slows down efforts

These funds would enable the province to strengthen surveillance, containment, and biosecurity measures.

“In addition, a portion has been committed to the procurement of 90 000 doses of FMD vaccines from the state-approved manufacturer, the Botswana Vaccine Institute (BVI). However, with delivery only expected in April, the delay continues to slow down critical interventions on the ground and has underscored the need for a broader, more coordinated response,” the department explained.

Since the onset of the outbreak in Gauteng, 286 857 animals have been vaccinated, while 128 925 animals have undergone controlled slaughter at FMD-designated abattoirs. To date, 173 cases have been confirmed across the province. Of these, three cases have been closed following depopulation, while the remaining 170 cases remain under quarantine.