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South African farmers count mounting losses as foot-and-mouth disease rages
- On Thursday night, President Cyril Ramaphosa declared foot-and-mouth disease a national disaster during his State of the Nation Address amid an outbreak battering South Africa's cattle industry.
- After losing FMD-free status in 2019, South Africa resumed local vaccine production last week, following the February 6 rollout to ease shortages.
- Data from Red Meat Industry Services shows beef exports fell 26% in 2025, and shipments to China dropped 69% to 1,687 metric tons after the ban, while farms faced increased costs and reduced milk output.
- Ramaphosa set up a task team of farmer organisations and experts working with the Minister of Agriculture and department to report monthly, while the state will facilitate central vaccine acquisition and private-sector role-players will ensure immediate farmer access.
- Critics responded that the plan to vaccinate 14 million cattle, requiring 28 million doses over the next year, may be inefficient, with Onderstepoort aiming to produce 20,000 doses daily by March.
14 Articles
14 Articles
South Africa: Foot-and-Mouth Disease Vaccination Drive Targets 14 Million Cattle
[SAnews.gov.za] Government is set to vaccinate the national herd of at least 14 million cattle, as South Africa grapples with one of the worst outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) the country has experienced.
Ramaphosa responds to FMD 'pandemic', but centralised response a failure - critics
President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) crisis a national disaster, but critics say a centralised response will be inefficient. FMD has now spread to all provinces, with the Western and Northern Capes the latest to implement quarantine measures at affected farms this week. The president confirmed his administration’s response during his ninth State of the Nation Address on Thursday evening. Vaccination of 38 000 a…
Ramaphosa declares foot-and-mouth outbreak a national disaster – The Mail & Guardian
President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared South Africa’s foot-and-mouth disease outbreak a national disaster, warning that the cattle industry is facing one of the worst outbreaks the country has yet experienced. In his State of the Nation address on Thursday, Ramaphosa said the disease was inflicting severe damage on the economy, triggering export bans, trade restrictions and “the devastation of herds”. In response, the government has decided to v…
‘We need vaccines now’: Fed-up farmers protest Foot-and-Mouth crisis ahead of SONA
A group of farmers from KwaZulu-Natal held placards and called on Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen and President Cyril Ramaphosa to act swiftly, warning that delays could devastate farms and the wider agricultural sector.
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