There are currently well over 200 outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in five of South Africa’s provinces. The country’s dairy and beef farmers are extremely concerned about reports that new stocks of foot-and-mouth vaccine might not be available until January next year.
By Lloyd Phillips, Senior Journalist at African Farming and Landbouweekblad
There appears to be immense confusion, uncertainty and concern regarding the availability of the vaccines that are essential for fighting the surging spread of foot-and-mouth disease in South Africa.
It was reported late last week that the Botswana Vaccine Institute (BVI), from which the South African government has long been importing millions of doses of vaccine against FMD, has stopped production to undergo mandatory maintenance and sterilisation. BVI, which is Southern Africa’s only manufacturer of vaccines against the SAT strains of FMD, will reportedly only resume production sometime in January 2026.
It has also emerged that whereas Dollvet in Turkey, the South African government and industry organisations such as the national Milk Producers’ Organisation (MPO) are prioritising achieving all the necessary authorisations and processes to have Dollvet’s DIVA-type SAT-strain FMD vaccines imported by South Africa, this too may only be concluded in January.
African Farming has submitted an urgent enquiry to the national Department of Agriculture (NDA) to find out how many doses of BVI’s FMD vaccine the department has left. The enquiry also asks the department to clarify what South Africa’s dairy and cattle farmers should expect regarding the availability of FMD vaccines for the foreseeable future.
The NDA has indicated that it will respond as soon as possible.
Also read: FMD | ‘The state’s system is unworkable’ – private veterinarian
644 000 Privately Owned Vaccines
With FMD being a state-controlled disease, only the state may order, handle, store, distribute and administer FMD vaccines. The state may, however, also authorise such actions by the private sector, subject to such actions being carried out under the state’s close oversight and protocols.
Red Meat Industry Services (RMIS), meanwhile, reports that a shipment of 644 000 doses of BVI’s FMD vaccine arrived in South Africa on 17 October. Although the NDA authorised and oversaw this purchase, these doses were paid for by various South African beef feedlots.
“The vaccines are now safely stored at [the state’s] Onderstepoort Biological Products and will be distributed to the feedlots and [other] buyers who contributed to the procurement,” the RMIS’s statement says.
African Farming has previously reported that various feedlots, including Karan Beef, continue to fight ongoing outbreaks of FMD in their operations. They are typically hit hard because of the high numbers of cattle on their premises.
African Farming has also previously reported that South Africa’s dairy farmers are extremely concerned about the spread of FMD. Previous and current outbreaks on dairy farms have revealed that dairy cattle are typically severely impacted by the symptoms of FMD, often to the point of requiring the animals to be euthanised. Dairy farms consequently also suffer major financial losses.
Dairy farmers are desperate for the state to approve widespread prophylactic vaccinations against FMD. They too are prepared to buy the vaccines.
Neither the national MPO nor RMIS can confirm how many doses of FMD vaccine the state currently possesses.
Also read: New FMD outbreak puts Creighton’s 35 000 dairy cattle in jeopardy
A Worrying Scenario
Dr Peter Evans, head of RMIS’s Operations Centre, adds that it is up to the feedlots to decide whether they need all 644 000 doses of FMD vaccine they purchased or whether they can possibly make some available to others, but with the state’s permission and oversight.
“There is concern that before more vaccine comes in again, the disease might spread further,” he says.
“There is a big will among all stakeholders to fast-track Dollvet’s vaccine for South Africa. However, Dollvet would also need time to manufacture sufficient doses. We really [hope] that all livestock owners will be responsible with the movement of their animals. It is essential to prevent comingling of cattle from different areas. Cattle can be infected with FMD and [can shed] the virus and [infect] other cattle for as long as 14 days before the original animal starts showing symptoms.”
Fanie Ferreira, chief executor officer of the MPO, stresses that his organisation has been working relentlessly for many months already to get Dollvet’s FMD vaccine available and authorised for South Africa.
“When we heard about four to six weeks ago about BVI’s shutdown, we then really began pushing for the Dollvet vaccine. We’ve really tried our best. The situation that I was afraid of and that the MPO was trying to avoid has possibly arrived now. But we’re still working with the state to get the Dollvet vaccine fast-tracked. Something positive might happen.”
African Farming is also waiting for responses from BVI and from Dollvet’s representative in Southern Africa. All responses will be reported as soon as they arrive.
