The Milk Producers’ Organisation has made an urgent appeal to President Cyril Ramaphosa to intervene immediately in the shortage of the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine, which threatens national food security.

Fanie Ferreira, CEO of the Milk Producers’ Organisation (MPO), says the president’s immediate intervention will restore confidence in the system and prevent further deterioration in national animal health. He says the dairy sector is fully prepared to work with the president’s office to avert the crisis.

In a media statement, Ferreira says the MPO has also sent a letter to Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen, requesting an urgent meeting to discuss the crisis caused by limited access to the vaccine in KwaZulu-Natal. No response has yet been received from the minister.

The MPO has described the situation as critical. There are about 220 000 cows in KwaZulu-Natal that produce roughly 30% of South Africa’s milk.

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Vaccine Shortage Hampers Outbreak Control

The province is grappling with increasing FMD outbreaks that threaten national food security, rural livelihoods and the stability of the dairy value chain, Ferreira says.

Despite efforts by veterinarians, producers and provincial services to prioritise the most urgent cases, the severe vaccine shortage is preventing proactive control of the outbreaks. Ferreira says the available vaccine stock only allows for reactive crisis management, which is not sustainable.

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Uncertainty Over Import Permit Raises Alarm

The MPO is increasingly concerned about the uncertainty surrounding approval of the import permit for the Dollvet FMD vaccine, which must be finalised soon if the vaccine is to be available by February 2026.

“Conflicting information about whether Dr Mpho Maja, the director of Animal Health, will approve the permit is causing significant uncertainty. If the export permit is not approved within the next few days, the procurement process will be delayed by at least a month, worsening the already critical shortage.”

The MPO stresses that farmers cannot maintain national food security without clear, consistent and transparent leadership in animal health. Ferreira says immediate intervention by the government is vital to ensure that South Africa’s dairy sector can continue supplying safe, reliable milk to the country.