By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen has announced that South Africa will receive a shipment of 1 million foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccines from Biogenesis Bago on Saturday.
The announcement follows President Cyril Ramaphosa’s declaration of the FMD outbreak as a National Disaster during his State of the Nation Address.
Steenhuisen made the announcement during the debate on the president’s speech in Parliament on Tuesday, warning that approximately 14 million cattle are at risk.
He described the disaster declaration as a critical step in unlocking coordinated resources and shifting from a fragmented, reactive response to a proactive, science-based national strategy.
“Make no mistake, tackling FMD is a massive challenge. It will require collaboration, transparency and a sustained effort from all sectors if we are to resolve it effectively.”
He acknowledged the severe impact of the outbreak on farmers across the country.
“We appreciate the enormity of the impact on farmers, both financially and emotionally. FMD did not begin with this administration; it has been a long-standing reality. However, for the very first time, we now have a comprehensive plan backed by science, with the private sector involved every step of the way.”
“This plan will succeed, and when it does, the consequences will be profound and positive, particularly as markets that were previously closed to South African beef begin to reopen.”
The government plans to vaccinate the entire national herd over the next 12 months, with an estimated 28 million doses required to curb the outbreak and protect the agricultural economy.
He said South Africa lost its vaccine production capability in 2005 and had since relied primarily on imports from the Botswana Vaccine Institute. Under the new strategy, additional international suppliers had been secured.
For the first time in more than 20 years, the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) had produced a batch of vaccines for operational use. The facility had been capacitated to produce 20,000 doses a week initially, with plans to scale up to 200,000 doses a week by 2027.