Steenhuisen leads cattle vaccination drive as South Africa battles Foot-and-Mouth Disease

SOUTH AFRICA – South Africa’s Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, has stepped up the fight against Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), personally leading a cattle vaccination campaign in the North West Province as the country confronts hundreds of unresolved outbreaks.

On Thursday, September 4, Steenhuisen visited Rysmierbult, a communal farming area in North West, to oversee a Cattle Vaccination Campaign of 300 cattle to combat the spread of foot-and-mouth disease. 

The campaign forms part of the Department of Agriculture’s nationwide response to contain the highly contagious livestock virus, which threatens both food security and South Africa’s beef export ambitions.

Nationwide vaccine rollout

To bolster the intervention, the department has procured 900,000 doses of FMD vaccine from the Botswana Vaccine Institute at a cost of R72 million (approximately US$4.1 million). 

Of these, 500,000 doses have already been administered in provinces most affected by the disease, including KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Gauteng, North West and the Free State.

The remaining 400,000 doses were delivered in late August, with 50,000 already allocated to provinces grappling with active outbreaks. Priority regions such as Free State, Mpumalanga, North West and Gauteng will continue receiving additional supplies in the coming weeks.

Despite the large-scale vaccination effort, South Africa still faces a daunting challenge. Official data shows 274 unresolved outbreaks nationwide, including 180 in KwaZulu-Natal, 54 in Gauteng, 26 in North West, nine in Mpumalanga and five in the Free State. 

Authorities attribute the persistence of the virus to farm-to-farm transmission and farmers failing to comply with isolation protocols.

Safeguarding the livestock industry

FMD outbreaks have had severe consequences for livestock farmers, reducing productivity and limiting export opportunities to lucrative markets in the European Union, China, Japan and the Middle East. 

South Africa’s agricultural exports already face pressure after the United States imposed a 30% tariff on citrus, prompting the government to diversify markets for red meat and other commodities.

Steenhuisen stressed that vaccination is central to the government’s plan to stabilise the sector and protect farmers’ livelihoods. “These are important measures that will protect our beef industry,” he said during the campaign launch.

He has also rejected claims from the Red Meat Producers Organisation that the government has lost control of the outbreak, insisting instead that non-compliance within the sector is driving the spread. 

“It’s people in the sector that are moving animals outside of the protocols, and selling animals outside of the protocols,” Steenhuisen said.

Building long-term resilience

Alongside emergency vaccination drives, the Department of Agriculture is preparing for the future with plans to expand domestic vaccine production. 

A mid-scale facility capable of producing up to 200,000 doses a year is scheduled to be commissioned by March 2026, in partnership with the Agricultural Research Council (ARC).

“Current approaches are fragmented and lack sufficient enforcement and coordination, which contributes to the persistence of outbreaks,” Steenhuisen said, urging livestock farmers to work closely with veterinary authorities. 

“Biosecurity is everyone’s responsibility. Only through collective discipline and cooperation can we turn the tide and secure the future of South Africa’s livestock industry.”

For now, the Rysmierbult vaccination drive offers a glimmer of hope. As doses are rolled out across priority provinces, the government is betting that swift action, coupled with long-term investment in vaccine production and stricter biosecurity, will help contain FMD and restore stability to one of South Africa’s most valuable agricultural sectors.

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