South Africa’s Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen says the arrival of the country’s first batch of one million high‑potency foot‑and‑mouth disease (FMD) vaccines marks a “crucial victory” for farmers and a turning point in efforts to restore access to international red‑meat markets.
Steenhuisen received the shipment at OR Tambo International Airport at the weekend, describing the vaccines as the tool South Africa needs to shift from crisis response to long‑term disease control.
“This small vial will be the beginning of us getting our red meat into markets around the world,” he said.
South Africa has battled recurring FMD outbreaks since losing its FMD‑free status in 2019.
The country has since recorded 11 outbreak events, with several still active in KwaZulu‑Natal and the Eastern Cape.
The outbreaks have severely disrupted the livestock sector, triggering movement restrictions, auction cancellations, production losses and the closure of key beef export markets.
Experts have linked the crisis to deteriorating control systems, inadequate enforcement of livestock‑movement rules and the absence of large‑scale vaccine production.
The newly arrived vaccines, sourced from Argentine manufacturer Biogénesis Bagó, form part of a national 10‑Year Eradication Strategy aimed at regaining “FMD‑free status with vaccination” – a prerequisite for reopening lucrative export markets.
Steenhuisen said the vaccines will allow South Africa to “get ahead” of the disease after years of reactive containment.
JN/APA