Editor’s note (30 July 2026): The National Department of Agriculture has withdrawn the social media warning on which this article was based, after the matter was clarified through engagements involving Kraftmed, Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP) and the department. Read the follow-up article here.
The National Department of Agriculture has warned livestock farmers to ignore a fraudulent advertisement circulating on social media that falsely promotes an online platform for ordering foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccines.
By Maile Matsimela, digital editor at African Farming
The department said it did not issue, authorise or endorse the advert, which claims to offer farmers access to FMD vaccines through an online ordering platform.
The advertisement, branded as “RESQvax” by KraftMed, encourages farmers to register online, provide farm and veterinarian details, request vaccine quantities and make payments to secure vaccine allocations.
Also read: FMD vaccine scam warning withdrawn after Kraftmed platform clarified
Do not register or make payments
The department has urged farmers not to interact with the platform in any way.
According to the warning, farmers should:
- Not register on the platform.
- Not place vaccine orders through the website.
- Not provide personal or farm information.
- Not make any payments in response to the advertisement.
- Not share or circulate the advert on social media or messaging platforms.
The department cautioned that sharing personal or farm information with unauthorised parties could expose producers to fraud and compromise sensitive farm data.
The department urged all livestock producers to remain vigilant and report suspicious advertisements or vaccine offers, stressing that protecting the integrity of the country’s FMD response depends on using only authorised and verified communication channels.
Also read: Nip vaccine scammers in the bud before it’s too late
Verify information before taking action
The department has urged farmers to protect themselves against fraud by verifying any information relating to FMD vaccines through its official communication channels before taking any action.
It also advised farmers not to register on the platform, place orders, make payments or share personal or farm information in response to the advertisement.
Also read: FMD vaccine scams: ‘Farmers, beware of fake sellers on social media’ – RMIS
