Agriculture minister John Steenhuisen has called on provincial departments to urgently vaccinate as many animals as possible following the arrival of South Africa’s largest single consignment of foot and mouth disease vaccines.
The first batch of a 3,5 million-dose shipment of Biogénesis Bagó vaccines arrived on Sunday, with the remainder expected during the week. The consignment from Argentina represents the biggest single importation of FMD vaccines in the country’s history.
“Provinces must now move with speed and urgency to scale up frontline vaccination efforts and protect our national herd of approximately 14 million cattle,” Steenhuisen said on Sunday.
ALSO READ: DA in FS concerned about officials’ complacency in FMD spike
South Africa has secured and imported 13,5 million vaccine doses before the end of May 2026, including the 3,5 million doses that arrived on Sunday.
“The acquisition of 13,5 million doses in just four months demonstrates the seriousness with which we are confronting this disease,” the minister said.
The rollout forms part of the Department of Agriculture’s strategy to achieve and maintain “FMD free with vaccination” status, while safeguarding rural livelihoods, food security and agricultural exports.
Steenhuisen said maintaining a disciplined vaccination trajectory would ensure South Africa does not experience outbreaks on this scale again, but stressed that government cannot act alone.
“Every livestock owner has a responsibility to protect their animals through strict biosecurity measures, compliance with movement controls, and full participation in vaccination and identification programmes,” he said.
The minister said defeating FMD requires unified effort across government, industry and farming communities, warning that the stakes involve protecting jobs, rural economies, food security and the national interest.
To support the accelerated campaign, additional animal health technicians will be appointed and deployed across affected provinces to strengthen frontline operations and expand vaccination capacity.
