Steenhuisen receives first batch of FMD vaccinations

Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen is set to receive the first batch of one million foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccines at O. Tambo International Airport on Saturday. The shipment of one million high-potency vaccine doses sourced from Biogénesis Bagó in Argentina marks the first phase of a broader national rollout.

A further five million doses are scheduled to arrive in March. The vaccines form a cornerstone of the Department of Agriculture’s newly launched 10-year eradication strategy, which aims to secure South Africa’s “FMD-free status with vaccination”. The strategy seeks to protect the country’s national herd of more than 14 million cattle, alongside sheep, goats and other cloven-hoofed animals susceptible to the highly contagious viral disease.

The government said achieving internationally recognised FMD-free status with vaccination is critical to reopening lucrative export markets and restoring long-term biosecurity stability. For many cattle farmers in KwaZulu-Natal, the arrival of the vaccine signals potential relief after months of movement restrictions, disrupted auctions and mounting financial pressure. According to the recent status of the outbreak released by the department on Tuesday, the province has a total of 222 cases, the second highest number of cases after the Free State’s 249.

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While the department had not yet released details on how the vaccine will be distributed, it is expected that high-risk and affected areas will be prioritised. A dairy farmer in the Midlands said they appreciated the efforts made; however, they had expected the vaccine long ago. “I’ve lost a number of my herd, and more calves are expected to die in the next few days.

This has been a huge financial and emotional burden. “Yes, the one million vaccines will be in the country, but when will they actually arrive and help us save what we have left of our cattle?” asked the farmer, who asked not to be named.

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