South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province is making progress towards its target of vaccinating 80% of the estimated 2.5 million cattle population against Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), as authorities intensify efforts to prevent further outbreaks. KwaZulu-Natal has been among the provinces most severely affected by the FMD outbreak that began in 2021. The disease has placed significant pressure ...

South Africa has introduced a new digital portal to strengthen the country’s response to foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) while supporting efforts to restore international confidence in its livestock exports. The Department of Agriculture’s new online reporting system allows livestock producers to apply for voluntary vaccination approval, submit vaccination records and improve disease traceability as government works ...

South Africa has approved a new national framework for managing Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), introducing updated control measures aimed at improving outbreak response, protecting livestock farmers, and maintaining agricultural trade. The new regulations were approved by Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen and will take effect once published in the Government Gazette. They replace the 2019 FMD Contingency ...

You Cannot Spray Everything. But You Can Do This More than a year after Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) first triggered widespread concern across South Africa and neighbouring countries, the outbreak continues to affect livestock operations unabated. Confirmed new cases have climbed from 932 in March 2026 to 2,034 by 22nd May, now affecting all ...

South Africa’s FMD vaccination campaign is showing promising early results, with government reporting strong progress in containing the spread of the disease across the country’s livestock sector. Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen confirmed that more than 2 million animals have been vaccinated since February 2026, with early data indicating that the strategy is effectively protecting herds. ...

South Africa’s agriculture sector faces disease outbreaks, rising input costs, and export pressures despite a positive grain production outlook. South Africa’s agricultural sector entered 2026 on uncertain footing, with disease outbreaks, rising input costs, and global geopolitical tensions placing pressure on farmers and agribusinesses. According to the Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz), the first quarter of ...

South Africa is currently facing one of its most serious foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) crises in years – one that has already locked South African farmers out of some markets. Daneel Rossouw, Head of Sales for Nedbank Agriculture, argues that stronger biosecurity measures are essential for South Africa’s livestock sector to maximise its role in global ...

Republic of South Africa: The Parliament The Portfolio Committee on Agriculture today received an update from the Department of Agriculture on the vaccination of cattle against foot and mouth disease (FMD), following an outbreak across the country. The committee heard that the department is currently distributing a million vaccine doses to outbreak areas in the ...

South Africa has launched its first domestically developed foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine, a landmark step in safeguarding livestock health, improving meat supply stability and reducing costly dependence on imported vaccines. Developed by the government-backed Agricultural Research Council (ARC) in Pretoria, the locally produced vaccine aims to immunise up to 80% of the nation’s roughly 12 ...

Livestock farmers across South Africa are facing one of the toughest challenges in recent history due to the outbreak of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), widely regarded as a major agricultural crisis. Industry leaders are calling it the worst livestock disaster the country has ever experienced, with wide-reaching effects on farmers, rural areas and the agricultural sector ...