South Africa marked a major milestone in animal health today with the delivery of its first locally produced foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine in 20 years, following the decommissioning of production facilities in 2005.
By Lebogang Mashala, editor at African Farming
The first batch of 12 900 doses has been released and is ready for distribution to six of the country’s nine provinces. These include the North West, Free State, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and the Eastern Cape, with each province set to receive approximately 2 000 doses.
Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen, together with members of the ministerial task team and leadership from the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), hosted industry stakeholders and members of the media to witness the finalisation of the inaugural batch of the locally produced vaccine.
The release of the vaccine marks a critical step in rebuilding South Africa’s domestic vaccine production capacity and strengthening the country’s response to ongoing and future FMD outbreaks, which pose a serious threat to livestock production, food security and agricultural trade.
Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen once again called for unity in the fight against the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) crisis, saying today’s milestone marks an important step in rebuilding the country’s biosecurity capacity.
He acknowledged that the outbreak followed nearly three decades of biosecurity failures, but said the progress achieved signals South Africa’s determination to reverse that decline, curb the current crisis and ensure this is the last outbreak of such magnitude.
Dewald Olivier, CEO of Red Meat Industry Services, said South Africa should be proud of its ability to produce its own vaccine, even at smaller volumes. He said local production is a critical step forward, and we look forward to scaling up capacity. Olivier added that, together with imported vaccines, the locally produced doses play a vital role in combating the disease, ensuring markets remain open, and keeping farmers productive and on their farms.
Dr Faith Peta, who leads the ARC vaccine production team, said the milestone underscores South Africa’s commitment to biosecurity and preparedness against transboundary animal diseases. She added that for farmers, the locally produced vaccine promises improved access and renewed confidence in disease control – critical to maintaining herd health, sustaining productivity and protecting both domestic and export market access.
Dr Litha Magingxa, President and CEO of the ARC, said today marked a major milestone in animal health with the delivery of South Africa’s first locally produced FMD vaccine in 20 years.
The milestone follows the decommissioning of the country’s FMD vaccine production facilities in 2005 and signals a renewed era of local manufacturing capacity. Dr Magingxa said South Africans should take pride in the achievement, which marks the beginning of a broader journey towards restoring the country’s FMD-free status and strengthening national biosecurity.
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