How to avoid Foot-and-Mouth Disease

The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development has urged livestock owners to take immediate action to limit the spread of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) by following strict biosecurity measures.

FMD is a controlled animal disease, and early reporting is critical to protect both local and export markets. Meanwhile, the Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen, speaking at a recent FMD Indaba, said South Africa must overhaul its response to the disease to prevent future economic and agricultural crises. The Minister called for a “science-based, constitutionally aligned, and practically implementable” strategy, warning that the country can no longer afford to rely on outdated structures and fragmented authority.

Addressing delegates, the Minister said South Africa's livestock industry is “under immense pressure, not just from the biological spread of disease, but from policy failure, institutional fatigue, and an outdated response model. While the virus spread, trust in the state’s capacity to respond continued to erode,” he said. 

The impact has been far-reaching, with halted exports, job losses, and damage to South Africa’s international reputation. One of the core failings, according to Minister Steenhuisen, is the absence of a functional regionalisation framework — a mechanism that allows trade to continue in unaffected areas during an outbreak.

“The failure to regionalise is not due to a lack of veterinary science,” he emphasised. “It is due to a lack of institutional coordination, legal clarity and capacity.” To address this, the Minister announced the appointment of two senior veterinarians, Dr Emily Mogajane and Dr Nomsa Mnisi, who will lead the development of a comprehensive national regionalisation framework. 

Minister Steenhuisen also highlighted the breakdown in vaccine production and availability, revealing that South Africa had to import vaccines from Botswana. “This situation is unsustainable for a country with South Africa’s livestock footprint and export ambitions,” he said.

Research and development were another key focus. The Minister called for industry partnerships to bolster animal science research, particularly through the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) and the University of Pretoria’s Biosecurity Hub. “We must elevate the ARC to the same level as its international counterparts,” he concluded.

For more information, contact Dr Marietta Swanepoel on (012) 319 7481 / email MariettaS@nda.gov.za 

For FMD updates, including contact details for your provincial department and to access a State Veterinarian, visit: www.dalrrd.gov.za or email queries@dalrrd.gov.za