One of the first casualties of the devastating impact of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in South Africa is the cancellation of the Bloem Show’s cattle and small stock show for 2026.

By Johan Norval, senior journalist at African Farming and Landbouweekblad

The decision was taken on Friday, 16 January, at a meeting in Bloemfontein, in the interest of the red meat industry. Elmarie Prinsloo, CEO of the Bloem Show, says the decision will have a significant primary and secondary impact on the local economy, affecting service providers, participants and the show’s role as a marketing platform for breeders, institutions and societies.

“The situation is strongly reminiscent of the Covid-19 pandemic, but this decision is being made in the interest of the national situation and the crisis caused by FMD,” Prinsloo says. “Current available data indicates the peak of the outbreaks has not yet been reached.

“Although intensive work is being done behind the scenes, including Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen’s recently announced national strategy, timelines and risks remain a challenge when it comes to hosting the annual Bloem Show.”

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She confirms that all other sections of the Bloem Show will continue as planned from 23 April to 2 May 2026. These include the national Saddle Horse Show, other horse competitions, as well as the commercial show featuring exhibitors, entertainment, an amusement park and food stalls.

“We are confident that all role players – including breeders, farmers, societies, the agricultural community, service providers and members of the public – will understand the situation and support this decision,” Prinsloo says.

The cancellation stands in sharp contrast to the 2025 Bloem Show, which attracted record numbers of approximately 5 000 large and small livestock. A total of 23 championship shows were hosted, including seven national and three world championship events. The biennial national Dorper Championship was among the highlights.

Another casualty is the bull growth test class hosted by SA Stud Book and Vleissentraal. Herman Labuschagne of SA Stud Book says alternative arrangements will likely be made regarding the format of the competition to ensure continuity.

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Several major Vleissentraal auctions have already been cancelled, including the national Boran auction scheduled for 13 February 2026 at the Silverlakes complex near Pretoria, and the national Bonsmara auction planned for 17 March 2026 in Parys. The Beefmaster Cattle Breeders’ Society’s annual tour, which was to take place in Limpopo from 3 to 6 March 2026, has been postponed to 2027.

Gerrit van Zyl, an award-winning Bonsmara stud breeder from Dewetsdorp, describes the FMD crisis as a national disaster. He says commercial producers can still generate income by slaughtering animals, but stud breeders are forced to sell valuable genetics at slaughter prices.

“If a herd is placed under quarantine and the breeder cannot trade offspring for months, it has far-reaching implications for cash flow,” Van Zyl says. “The impact is enormous and can be compared to salary earners who suddenly receive no income for months.”

His advice to fellow farmers is to tighten biosecurity measures on their farms and to ensure herd immunity is at the highest possible level.

“Don’t panic,” he says. “If your herd is affected, manage the FMD control measures to the best of your ability.”