SADC ministers call for regional fertilizer harmonisation, animal vaccine bank for food security

SADC Ministers responsible for agriculture have called for coordinated regional action to protect food systems through fertilizer harmonisation, crop development, and control of animal diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease. The call was made on May 29, 2026, during the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Committee of Ministers meeting on Agriculture, Food Security, Fisheries and Aquaculture held in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. A statement issued by the SADC Secretariat in Lusaka on Monday said ministers agreed the measures are critical to enhance regional food security and resilience.

Chairperson of the Committee, South Africa’s Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen, urged member states to fast-track adoption of the Agreement on Fertiliser Regulatory Frameworks. “SADC can no longer afford delay’ on harmonising fertilizer regulations. This would help to cut costs and boost resilience,” Steenhuisen said.

On Foot and Mouth Disease and other transboundary animal diseases, Steenhuisen stressed the need for swift and collective action across borders. “Animal diseases do not respect borders. Our collective resilience depends on the resilience of our neighbours and preparedness is always less costly than prolonged outbreaks,” he stated.

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The ministers agreed the region needs a Regional Coordination Framework and a proposed SADC FMD Vaccine Bank to strengthen response capacity. Steenhuisen said investing in stronger veterinary systems, regional surveillance, and modernised agricultural systems would help SADC compete globally while protecting rural livelihoods. Zimbabwe’s Minister of Agriculture Dr.

Anxious Masuka noted that the quadruple burden of undernourishment, stunting, wasting and co-morbidities in the region demanded urgent collaborative action. SADC Deputy Executive Secretary for Regional Integration, Angèle N’Tumba, stressed agriculture remained the backbone of the region. “Agriculture was the backbone of the SADC region, sustaining over 70 percent of the SADC population with livestock alone contributing up to 40 percent of agricultural GDP,” N’Tumba said. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR.

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