The Red Meat Producers’ Organisation (RPO) says the national foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccination programme must be backed by practical support to help farmers prepare their animals for market, warning that vaccines alone will not resolve the crisis facing the livestock sector.
The call follows Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen’s announcement on Wednesday that two million vaccine doses are expected to arrive by February for distribution in the hardest-hit areas. KwaZulu-Natal remains the epicentre of the outbreak, with recent flare-ups in Kokstad contributing to 180 of the country’s 274 unresolved cases.
Steenhuisen again pointed to the uncontrolled movement of animals as a key driver of rising infections, urging tighter compliance to contain the disease.
RPO CEO Dr Frikkie Maré said farmers were encouraged by the government’s renewed efforts but cautioned against misunderstandings about the regulations.
“People are very optimistic because we’re now on a pathway, and we think things will start to change,” he said. “But there’s also some misinformation, with some believing they can already move vaccinated animals.”
Maré stressed that no regulations have been amended and that existing controls remain in place until the government formally publishes updated directives.