Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen has confirmed that South Africa has received 3.5 million additional doses of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccine sourced from Argentina, increasing the nation’s total available supply to 13.5 million doses.
The newly arrived Biogénesis Bagó vaccines will be prioritized for distribution in high-risk zones to strengthen containment efforts. Steenhuisen reaffirmed the government’s commitment to vaccinate 80 percent of the national cattle herd by December, a target that remains in place following a recent High Court decision that ended the state’s exclusive authority over vaccine procurement and administration.
Allocation of the latest shipment has been finalized: 1.5 million doses will support the feed lot industry; 500,000 are designated for the Red Meat Producers Organization; 200,000 will assist the Milk Producers Organization in conducting a second vaccination round for dairy herds; 100,000 are reserved for the stud breeders industry; and just over one million doses will be distributed to provincial authorities. A portion of the stockpile has also been earmarked for cross-border vaccination initiatives with neighboring countries. To date, approximately 4 million animals have been vaccinated across South Africa since the FMD outbreak commenced.
Steenhuisen acknowledged that his department is carefully reviewing the High Court’s preliminary ruling, which permits farmers to independently source and administer FMD vaccines without government authorization. He cautioned that the judgment carries significant implications beyond animal health, potentially affecting SPRA and the Medicines Control Council. “It creates a precedent,” he noted, raising important questions about importation and deployment authority during future national emergencies.
Turning to broader agricultural resilience, Steenhuisen proposed exploring a blended financing approach for agricultural insurance to better support farmers impacted by extreme weather events. He observed that existing insurance products remain inaccessible for many small-scale family farmers and some mid-scale commercial operations. The suggested framework, modeled on systems like SAJRIA, would involve shared financial contributions from both the state and agricultural producers.
The Minister also addressed external pressures affecting the sector, highlighting how the ongoing Middle East conflict has driven up input costs for South African farmers. Diesel prices—representing roughly 14 percent of production expenses—and fertilizer costs—accounting for approximately 30 percent—have seen substantial increases. During a recent SADC agricultural ministers’ meeting in Zimbabwe, which Steenhuisen chaired, participants discussed establishing regional fertilizer reserves to improve local manufacturing capacity and supply chain stability.
In parallel, South Africa is actively working to maintain and expand international market access for its livestock products amid the FMD situation. Steenhuisen indicated that targeted engagements this week with key trade partners—including Tunisia, Lebanon, Egypt, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia—will focus on advancing proposals that enable continued commerce under science-based, risk-assessed frameworks.