South Africa Launches Nationwide FMD Vaccination Drive for Entire Cattle Herd

Major Policy Shift to Combat FMD Outbreaks

South Africa's Department of Agriculture has announced a significant policy change, initiating a comprehensive strategy to vaccinate the nation's entire cattle herd against Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD). This move, revealed by Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, marks a departure from previous targeted vaccination approaches and aims to tackle one of the most persistent and damaging waves of FMD the country has experienced in decades.

The announcement was made at the African Farmers Association of South Africa (AFASA) Leadership and Strategic Partnership Conference held at the Agricultural Research Council's (ARC) Roodeplaat Campus in Pretoria, Gauteng. The initiative seeks to protect the livelihoods of farmers, stabilize the red meat industry, and regain crucial export market access.

Current FMD Situation and Impact

FMD outbreaks have plagued South Africa since 2019, with the current trajectory described by Minister Steenhuisen as 'a battle we are currently not winning.' The KwaZulu-Natal Province remains the epicenter of the crisis, accounting for 180 of the 274 unresolved outbreaks reported nationally. Despite the vaccination of over 931,200 animals with government-procured stocks in the past three months, uncontrolled animal movement continues to undermine containment efforts and prolong the crisis.

The disease has caused immense hardship for farmers, particularly dairy farmers in KwaZulu-Natal, leading to losses, movement restrictions, and severe disruptions to their livelihoods in districts such as Kokstad, Dundee, Underberg, and Dannhauser. The outbreaks have also contributed to rising local meat prices and threatened South Africa's status as a major beef producer.

The Nationwide Vaccination Strategy

The new strategy involves systematically vaccinating South Africa's estimated 7.2 million-strong national cattle herd. The initial rollout will prioritize the hardest-hit provinces, including:

• KwaZulu-Natal
• Gauteng
• Free State
• Mpumalanga
• North West

These provinces are required to submit their livestock numbers and lists of quarantined farms to facilitate the vaccination process.

Vaccine Procurement and Local Production

A critical component of the strategy is ensuring a consistent and high-quality vaccine supply. The Department of Agriculture aims to take delivery of two million doses of FMD vaccines by February 2026, arriving in two separate consignments. To reduce reliance on imported vaccines, a new mid-scale vaccine production facility is being established locally as part of the national biosecurity strengthening program. This facility, alongside government and industry efforts, is expected to make an additional 1.5 million doses available.

The government is collaborating closely with Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP) and the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) on public-private partnerships. International partners, including China and Argentina, have also offered technical cooperation and support regarding vaccine provision.

Goals and Future Outlook

The overarching goal of this comprehensive vaccination drive is to enable South Africa to apply to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) for recognition of 'freedom with vaccination' status. This status is crucial for restoring confidence in and reopening vital export markets, particularly for beef products, to countries such as China, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and other Middle Eastern buyers.

Minister Steenhuisen emphasized that the success of the FMD response relies not only on vaccination but also on strict law enforcement to control animal movement, which remains the single biggest threat to national containment efforts. Industry players like the Red Meat Industry Services (RIMS) and the Milk Producers Organisation (MPO) have been acknowledged for their contributions to tackling the issue.