The Milk Producers’ Organisation (MPO) has purchased 50 000 doses of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine for dairies in KwaZulu-Natal.

By Alani Janeke, senior journalist at African Farming and Landbouweekblad

These doses, manufactured by the Botswana Vaccine Institute (BVI), have already arrived in the country and should be at a designated laboratory in KwaZulu-Natal by the end of the week, from where they will be distributed in the province.

Fanie Ferreira, CEO of the MPO, says the province has been identified as a hotspot.

Also read: FMD | KZN farmers set up their own control points (and more to follow)

The MPO is currently compiling a map of the hotspot areas in the province. This will be sent to the provincial government’s veterinary services, which will also identify hotspots according to its data. Based on these identified hotspots, the vaccine doses will be made available to dairies in the affected areas.

“We know these vaccines are not enough, so we will have to carefully determine where it will make the biggest difference.”

Ferreira says the farmers to whom the vaccine will be made available will have to pay for it. It will be provided to the farmers at R70 per dose (including VAT) – the price at which the MPO purchased it.

“We are very grateful that we were able to obtain this vaccine, although we know the need is much greater.”

The MPO worked with Red Meat Industry Services (RMIS) to obtain the vaccine doses.

Dewald Olivier, CEO of the RMIS, says it was initially indicated that 77 000 doses could be purchased, but while the payment process was underway, it turned out that only 50 000 doses were available.

Also read: New FMD outbreak puts Creighton’s 35 000 dairy cattle in jeopardy

More Outbreaks

Meanwhile, the disease is still spreading. According to information from the RMIS control centre, an outbreak was confirmed on a farm in the Tweeling district in the Free State this week. More outbreaks are suspected to be occurring in the North West and Mpumalanga, the test results of which are awaited.

Also read: KZN dairy crisis: FMD could trigger national milk shortage, experts warn

Ministerial Task Team

Several subcommittee meetings of the ministerial task force for foot-and-mouth disease took place this week. The task force will meet next week to discuss the situation regarding outbreaks but also the country’s long-term strategy.

“We have made a request to the department that vaccination of the country’s herd should no longer be just an option, but a must,” says Olivier.

In terms of where this vaccine will come from, the RMIS made it clear during recent discussions with senior department members that various local and international role players should be allowed to produce vaccines for South Africa. “And it should not be just two or three.”

“One vaccine is not going to meet the needs of every farmer. The hope is that the right vaccines can be obtained for different farmers’ situations.”

According to Olivier, several vaccine manufacturers will be ready to produce vaccines when the final decision is made.

Furthermore, it is very important that decisions on the strategy be made before the end of 2025, so that the industry can know how they will move forward. “The decision must be made now. I believe we are on the verge of implementing the decision.”

Regarding collaboration with government, Olivier said the industry has made good progress this year in improving collaboration, and they believe being supportive of the state, state entities and parastatals can help them position the decisions that affect the industry for the benefit of the entire country.