South Africa’s Agriculture Gets Boost with FMD Vaccines

The Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen has described the arrival of the first batch of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccines as a victory for the country’s agricultural sector and a major step towards reopening global red meat markets.

Steenhuisen officially received the first shipment of one million high-potency FMD vaccine doses at OR Tambo International Airport on Saturday.

“This is a victory for everybody in South Africa who wants to see agriculture playing an even more important role than it currently does in terms of the economy,” the Minister said.

He noted that agricultural exports were up 7% quarter-on-quarter and 10% year-on-year, underscoring the sector’s growing contribution to economic growth and job creation.

“Agriculture provides an opportunity for us to employ more people, but also to grow our economy. And as we’ve seen with our fruit exports, the real value in that lies in being able to get our excellent products around the world. 

“This small vial will be the beginning of us getting our red meat into markets around the world, and I’m very excited about that,” he said.

The vaccines, sourced from Argentine pharmaceutical company Biogénesis Bagó, are seen as a critical tool in South Africa’s fight against recurring FMD outbreaks, which have severely affected the red meat industry and led to the closure of key export markets.

For years, South Africa has grappled with FMD outbreaks that have restricted exports and placed strain on farmers. The Minister said the new vaccines will allow the country to move from reacting to outbreaks to proactively managing and ultimately eradicating the disease.

“These vaccines will give us an opportunity to get ahead of it. For far too long, far too many important markets have been closed to us because of our FMD status. This begins the pathway towards prosperity, opportunity and expansion and inclusion for many, many more people in the red meat sector in South Africa,” he said. 

The shipment forms part of the Department of Agriculture’s new 10-Year Eradication Strategy aimed at securing “FMD-free status with vaccination” a critical requirement for regaining access to lucrative global markets.

The one million doses received mark the first phase of a broader rollout, with an additional five million doses expected to arrive in March. 

South Africa has a national herd of over 14 million cattle, and government aims to vaccinate at least 80% by December.

“This is the first million batch. Now this is nowhere near as much as we need to be able to vaccinate 80% of the national herd by December, but there’s more on the way from Argentina and, of course, from other suppliers around the world,” Steenhuisen said.

He thanked the Argentinian government and industry partners for their support in reaching what he described as a milestone moment, highlighting collaboration between the state and private sector.

“At every sector and every step of the way, we have brought the private sector industry players and organisations along with us,” he said.

Steenhuisen also acknowledged the work of Department of Agriculture officials, including Director-General Mooketsa Ramasodi and senior veterinary and biosecurity experts including Dr Emily Mogajane and Dr Botlhe Modisane for their scientific and technical contributions. 

Addressing farmers directly, the Minister said government understands the hardship many have endured due to recent outbreaks.

“To the farmers of South Africa, I want to say very clearly that help is on the way. We know that many of you have suffered tremendously over the last weeks and months, but we now have the tools that we need.”

The Minister expressed confidence that the vaccination programme will not only help curb the current outbreak but firmly place the country on a new trajectory for the red meat sector. – SAnews.gov.za