Foot-and-mouth disease hits world’s largest feedlot

By Jasper Raats

Disease control in South Africa is at a crossroads after it became known that foot-and-mouth disease had broken out at Karan Beef in Heidelberg.

Karan Beef’s Heidelberg plant, the world’s largest feedlot, has been placed under quarantine after a case of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) was officially confirmed. The outbreak was identified on Friday 30 May despite Karan Beef having strictly adhered to all biosecurity measures, including quarantine protocols and thorough veterinary inspections prior to the intake of cattle.

In an official statement issued on Monday, Karan Beef confirmed all cattle intake at the Heidelberg feedlot has been temporarily suspended as a precautionary measure. “This unfortunate development highlights the ongoing risks faced by the livestock industry, even under rigorous control systems. Karan Beef is working closely with the State Veterinary Services to ensure swift containment and minimise any further risk to the broader industry,” said Henk Groenewald, general manager of Karan Beef.

“We understand this has direct consequences for cattle farmers’ operations and livestock planning. Karan Beef remains committed to transparency, compliance, and maintaining the highest standards of animal health and welfare. Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.”

Economic impact

According to Phillip Oosthuizen, chief operating officer of Red Meat Industry Services (RMIS), the outbreak has become public knowledge since the rumours began on Friday and has led to a drop in weaner calf prices, which has had a direct impact on farmers.

He said Karan Beef slaughters about 2 000 cattle per day at the Heidelberg abattoir. This means the company will be purchasing about 2 000 less cattle per day in the next few months.

The outbreak could also have far-reaching consequences for South Africa’s meat industry, especially in terms of export markets. Previous outbreaks of FMD in South Africa have led to the suspension of the country’s FMD-free status without vaccination by the World Organisation for Animal Health.

The way forward

Oosthuizen confirmed the industry wants to follow compartmentalisation as a strategy, which means the Heidelberg plant is handled separately to limit the spread of the disease, while unaffected areas remain operational.

“We hope this outbreak will bring about a turning point in the way South Africa has managed FMD to date. It is critical that we protect export markets by ensuring only affected compartments are kept out of the supply chain, rather than a complete ban on exports from a region or province,” he said.

A large-scale vaccination programme will be implemented at Karan’s Heidelberg plant as soon as possible. “The plant must adhere to strict quarantine measures while animals are vaccinated for slaughter, and then the plant must comply with an incubation period of approximately 30 days for infected areas before operations can resume.”

Groenewald assured that Karan Beef’s investors and buyers will be kept informed of developments. “We will provide clear guidelines regarding the resumption of normal purchasing and intake operations as soon as it is safe and responsible to do so.”

Cattle farmers are advised to be vigilant for symptoms of foot-and-mouth disease in their herds (such as salivation, blisters in the mouth, limping, or hoof lesions), and to report any suspicious cases to their state veterinarian immediately.

Recently, Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen announced the department has placed an urgent order for much-needed vaccines valued at R72 million. Steenhuisen emphasised that biosecurity is everyone’s responsibility and urged all livestock farmers in the country to limit animal movement as much as possible.

He stated, “Auctioneers and livestock owners should be vigilant when purchasing cloven-hoofed animals from provinces where there are active FMD outbreaks. No cloven-hoofed animals should be accepted from areas under restriction for foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).”

Steenhuisen also pointed out that Section 11 of the Animal Diseases Act, 1984 (Act No. 35 of 1984) imposes a legal duty on any owner or manager of animals to take all reasonable steps to prevent their animals from becoming infected with any disease and to prevent the spread of disease from their animals or land to other animals or properties.

Essential biosecurity measures include limiting and/or postponing the introduction of new animals. If it is absolutely necessary to introduce new animals, they should only come from known clean farms with a health declaration. Other measures include preventing nose-to-nose contact between farm animals and those outside the farm, maintaining secure farm boundaries, and restricting access for people and vehicles whenever possible.