South Africa has initiated a decade-long campaign to vaccinate nearly 20 million cattle in response to a fast-spreading foot‑and‑mouth disease (FMD) outbreak that has affected all but one of the country’s nine provinces. The viral infection, which impacts cattle, sheep, and goats but is not harmful to humans, causes fever, blisters, and sometimes death. Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen highlighted the severe financial and emotional toll on farmers since the outbreak began in 2021.
The vaccination plan, divided into four phases, will source vaccines from Argentina, Türkiye, and Botswana, while local production is being scaled up to a weekly capacity of 960,000 doses. Nearly two million cattle have already received vaccines. Authorities are also considering declaring FMD a national disaster to enhance government intervention.
The outbreak has disrupted South Africa’s beef exports, which totalled 38,600 tonnes in 2024, mainly to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, while China has suspended imports over FMD concerns. The campaign aims to reduce outbreaks by over 70% in high-risk provinces within the next 12 months.