South Africa’s Foot and Mouth Outbreak: Vaccine Shortages Leave Farmers in Limbo

Rural survival, red meat exports, and the urgent race for more vaccines

South Africa’s red meat industry is staring down a crisis that stretches from commercial feedlots in Mpumalanga to small family herds in rural KwaZulu-Natal. The ongoing foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak is far from under control, and with vaccines in short supply, farmers are being forced into tough decisions about survival and compliance.

Outbreak Not Yet Under Control

According to Dewald Olivier, CEO of Red Meat Industry Services, containment measures are in place, but the outbreak cannot yet be described as stabilised. Movement restrictions and designated containment zones remain active in affected provinces, with new cases still being reported.

“The critical difference this time,” Olivier notes, “is that industry and government are cooperating far more closely than in the past, which has helped improve coordination.”

Still, the vaccine situation remains a sticking point. Stocks are limited and are being deployed strategically to protect the highest-risk herds. While this has slowed the spread, it’s not enough to cover the national herd.

Government has confirmed that more consignments are on the way, sourced both from local production and international suppliers. Officials say the priority is establishing a steady, predictable pipeline of vaccines rather than one-off deliveries.

Rural Farmers Caught in the Crossfire

The outbreak has hit rural farmers especially hard. For many in KwaZulu-Natal, selling just one cow can mean paying school fees or buying groceries. With strict movement restrictions in place, however, those sales are often no longer possible.

The KwaZulu-Natal Agricultural Union (Kwanalu) has been outspoken, calling for stronger support systems and easier access to permits, mobile veterinary services, and market opportunities within restricted zones.

“Kwanalu warns that unless urgent support mechanisms are introduced, compliance will remain out of reach for many,” said CEO Sandy La Marque. “Even some of the country’s most established commercial operations are at risk, while small-scale farmers are forced to choose between following the law and feeding their families.”

On social media, the frustration is palpable. One smallholder farmer in Pietermaritzburg wrote on Facebook: “We want to follow the rules, but how do we survive when we can’t sell and there’s no help to keep us going?”

The Disaster Debate

Some farmer groups have called for the outbreak to be declared a provincial disaster. But the Department of Agriculture has pushed back.

According to Dipepeneneng Serage, deputy director-general, an official State of Disaster carries even heavier restrictions and does not fit the current outbreak. Instead, the department insists that more vaccine imports are on the way and that containment will continue under existing frameworks.

Why It Matters Beyond the Farm Gate

For urban South Africans, foot and mouth disease might feel distant, but its impact ripples far beyond the farm. Red meat prices, already under pressure, could climb further if herds can’t move freely or if export bans tighten. The export market—particularly in Asia and the Middle East, demands strict veterinary compliance, meaning one outbreak can dent trust and revenue streams worth billions.

At the same time, the outbreak lays bare the unequal realities of farming in South Africa. Large commercial operations can absorb some losses and wait for vaccines; small-scale farmers often can’t.

A Test of Coordination and Trust

The FMD outbreak has become more than a veterinary issue, it’s a test of trust between government, industry, and rural communities. Farmers are demanding clearer timelines on vaccine arrivals, transparent reporting on containment progress, and stronger support for those trapped between survival and legality.

As one Free State cattle producer put it in a radio call-in show:
“We can survive disease. What we can’t survive is uncertainty.”

{Source: IOL}

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