South Africa Receives First Shipment of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Vaccines

The South African government has received its first shipment of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccines as part of efforts to protect the country’s livestock industry.

Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen accepted the consignment last week. The vaccines were sourced from Biogénesis Bagó in Argentina.

Approximately one million high-potency doses have arrived, marking the start of a broader nationwide rollout. An additional five million doses are expected in March.

Steenhuisen said the programme forms part of the Department of Agriculture’s new 10-year eradication strategy, which aims to vaccinate the country’s national herd of more than 14 million cattle and restore what he described as “FMD-free status with vaccination.”

He emphasised that achieving this status is critical to reopening lucrative global export markets and safeguarding the long-term biosecurity of South Africa’s farming sector.

The minister noted that South Africa lost its domestic vaccine production capability in 2005 and has since relied largely on imports from the Botswana Vaccine Institute. Under the new strategy, the government has secured additional international suppliers.

President Cyril Ramaphosa declared foot-and-mouth disease a national disaster during last week’s State of the Nation Address, citing its severe impact on economic growth. Export bans and trade restrictions linked to the outbreak have affected farmers and placed jobs at risk.