On Friday 2 October something rare is happening at Nampo Alfa. The people who run South African agriculture, the heads of producer organisations, commodity bodies and industry structures, will be in the room to listen while the food producers they serve put on record what foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) has done to their businesses, what practical solutions will work, and where South African food production goes from here.
The Road to Recovery discussion was convened by farmers. Farmers speak; decision-makers come to hear them first-hand. The day is built for constructive input, with producers helping to unpack what is holding the industry back and setting out solutions the decision-makers can use. Organisations from across the industry have confirmed their seats and will attend to listen, among them Agri SA (national and provincial), TLU SA, Saai, AFASA, the RPO (national and provincial), NaLFA, MPO, SAPPO, WRSA, RMIS, APAC, SBF, RMAA, SAFA, RuVASA, SAFLA, NWKV, NGEAC and Agbiz, alongside major feedlot and processing businesses. The invitation is open, and any farmer and organisation in the value chain that has not yet confirmed a seat can do so at roadtorecovery-rsvp.vercel.app.
Farmers doing the talking
Farmers will do the talking. What is said will not stay in the room. The day will be recorded, and its inputs will be delivered to every organisation and department invited, whether present or not.
The stakes reach well beyond the farm gate. FMD has cost livestock producers export markets, income and momentum, with consequences for meat prices, rural jobs and South Africa’s export earnings. And the costs do not stop at the species barrier. Grain, pork, dairy and red meat producers farm inside the same food system, and all of them are paying for this crisis.
The morning will set out the facts. Gerhard van der Burgh (BFAP) will open with the red meat strategy, how we got here and the road to export markets. Dr Johnny van der Merwe (AMT) will cover what FMD is doing to South Africa’s food system, and Dr Tobias Doyer (Grain SA) will cover the South African food system and the journey ahead.
The afternoon belongs entirely to farmers: a working session led by farmer facilitators Danie Minnaar, Kobus Bester and Charl Saunderson. During this session, everyone in the room will have a say in what needs to happen next.
Road to Recovery takes place on Friday 2 October 2026 at Nampo Alfa in the Fanie Ferreira Hall, Nampo Park, from 08:30. Attendance is open to all food producers. RSVP at roadtorecovery-rsvp.vercel.app. Entry to Nampo Park is by Nampo Alfa day ticket (R70), available online or at the gates.
Also read:
Private sector now allowed to manufacture ARC’s locally developed FMD vaccine
OBP and the price of institutional failure
FMD | Imported vaccines account for 94% of OBP’s local sales
From ASF to FMD: Pork industry invests in vets, vaccines and traceability after disease crisis
Foot-and-mouth disease: South Africa’s quiet business crisis
