South Africa is set to receive a major boost in its battle against foot‑and‑mouth disease (FMD) this weekend, with the arrival of one million high‑potency vaccine doses from Argentina.
Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen said on Wednesday that the shipment marks the first phase of a broader agreement with Biogénesis Bagó, with an additional five million doses scheduled for delivery in March.
“Our farmers are the providers of our food and the backbone of our economy, bringing essential foreign currency into the country. In these tough times, we all need to work together,” he said.
The vaccines form part of a national strategy to inoculate South Africa’s 14 million‑strong cattle herd and regain “FMD‑Free Status with Vaccination.”
South Africa has been grappling with recurring FMD outbreaks that have devastated livestock production, disrupted exports and forced strict movement controls on cloven‑hoofed animals.
The outbreaks have hit communal farmers hard, undermining rural livelihoods and threatening the country’s agricultural economy.
Since the latest outbreak, the Botswana Vaccine Institute has supplied two million doses while Turkey’s Dollvet and its local agent Dunevax are also contributing to the rollout.
The Agricultural Research Council has begun producing vaccines domestically, starting with 12,900 doses earlier this month and aiming to scale up to 200,000 doses per week by 2027.
The government aims to vaccinate 80 percent of the national herd by December.
Steenhuisen urged farmers to adhere to biosecurity protocols, warning that non‑compliance could lead to the declaration of Disease Management Areas where strict movement controls would apply.
JN/APA