SADC adopts strategies to fight livestock diseases and feed shortages

ZIMBABWE – Southern African Development Community (SADC) ministers have approved a series of regional measures to strengthen food security, livestock health, and agricultural resilience, including a new framework for Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) control, a regional feed and fodder strategy, and harmonised fertiliser regulations.

The decisions were adopted during the SADC Committee of Ministers Responsible for Agriculture, Food Security, Fisheries and Aquaculture meeting held on May 29 in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

A major focus of the meeting was the growing threat posed by transboundary animal diseases, particularly FMD, which continues to disrupt livestock production and trade across the region.

John Steenhuisen, South Africa’s Minister of Agriculture and Chairperson of the SADC Committee of Ministers, called for urgent regional cooperation on disease surveillance, livestock traceability, coordinated vaccination programmes and stronger veterinary systems.

“Animal diseases do not respect borders. Our collective resilience depends on the resilience of our neighbours, and preparedness is always less costly than prolonged outbreaks,” he said.

Ministers approved the Framework for Strengthening Foot-and-Mouth Disease Control in SADC through a Regional Coordination Approach, which seeks to improve surveillance, harmonise cross-border response measures and strengthen management of disease risks at the wildlife-livestock interface.

The ministers also endorsed establishing a Regional FMD Vaccine Bank and urged member states to develop disease zoning and compartmentalisation systems to facilitate livestock and meat trade while maintaining disease control standards.

Feed strategy and fertiliser reforms target regional food security

For the feed industry, one of the most significant outcomes was the approval of the SADC Feed and Fodder Strategic Framework.

It will harmonise policies, attract investment and strengthen feed production, processing and distribution systems across the region.

The framework is expected to support livestock productivity by improving feed availability and encouraging greater private-sector participation in feed value chains.

Ministers also approved a Memorandum of Understanding on Harmonisation of Fertiliser Regulatory Frameworks, designed to streamline fertiliser trade, improve quality control and reduce regulatory barriers across member states.

Steenhuisen said the region could no longer afford delays in harmonising fertiliser regulations.

Ministers also urged governments to strengthen fertiliser market intelligence and ensure smallholder farmers have access to critical inputs through targeted support programmes.

The meeting further called for the establishment of regional cereal and fertiliser reserves, alongside joint procurement mechanisms to cushion countries from global supply disruptions and price volatility.

SADC Deputy Executive Secretary for Regional Integration Angèle Makombo N’Tumba warned that climate change continues to threaten regional food systems and highlighted forecasts indicating a 77% probability of an El Niño event by late 2026.

Ministers also acknowledged the importance of fisheries and aquaculture to food security and economic growth.

They approved measures to strengthen regional cooperation to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing while promoting the sustainable management of aquatic resources.

Representatives from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and the Botswana Vaccine Institute provided technical recommendations on FMD containment and livestock disease management.

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