South Africa: South Africa Announces Foot and Mouth Disease Strategy

On January 14, 2025, the South Africa Minister of Agriculture announced a national mass vaccination program to contain the ongoing Foot and Mouth disease (FMD) outbreak. The objective of the mass vaccination is to achieve FMD-free status with vaccination. According to Ministry of Agriculture, eight of the nine provinces in the country have reported outbreaks of FMD in their commercial and communal farms. According to industry sources, the economic impact extends beyond direct livestock losses, threatening South Africa's R80 billion livestock sector through trade restrictions, quarantine costs, and the loss of export markets.