How South Africa’s new FMD management measures protect farmers and livestock trade

South Africa has introduced a new national framework to manage Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), with the government saying the measures are designed to curb the spread of the virus while allowing farmers to continue operating with fewer unnecessary restrictions.

The new control measures, approved by Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen, will come into effect once they are published in the Government Gazette. They replace a patchwork of directives that have guided the country’s response to FMD outbreaks since 2019.

The Department of Agriculture said the new framework provides a single set of national rules covering every stage of an outbreak, from detection through to recovery.

“South Africa’s livestock producers need certainty. They need clear rules, sound science, and practical pathways that allow them to manage outbreaks without unnecessarily jeopardising their livelihoods,” Steenhuisen said.

FMD remains one of the most damaging livestock diseases affecting South Africa’s agricultural sector. Outbreaks can halt trade, disrupt production, threaten jobs, and inflict heavy financial losses on farming communities.

One of the most significant changes is that vaccinated animals that have never been infected with FMD and have not been placed under quarantine will continue to be regarded as healthy livestock and may be traded under normal conditions.

The government said the move provides greater certainty for producers participating in vaccination programmes.

The framework also creates clearer timelines for commercial activity to resume after outbreaks. Livestock may be sent to designated FMD abattoirs from 16 days after a property has been declared clinically clear, while broader slaughter options, including export-approved abattoirs, become available after 42 days.

“The objective is simple: protect animal health and stop the disease from spreading, while ensuring that farmers can continue operating safely wherever possible. Disease control and economic sustainability cannot be treated as mutually exclusive goals,” Steenhuisen said.

The department said advances in scientific understanding of the virus have also allowed it to reduce unnecessary destruction of animal products, feed, fodder, and manure by introducing risk-based management periods instead of blanket disposal requirements.

Another major change is the shift away from automatically requiring entire herds to be removed before quarantine restrictions can be lifted.

Instead, farmers will be able to choose from several recovery options depending on their circumstances, including removing infected animals, restocking with vaccinated livestock, or introducing animals from FMD-free sources.

“For many farmers, particularly those operating under difficult financial conditions, the prospect of losing an entire herd can be devastating. These measures introduce practical alternatives that are scientifically sound and economically realistic,” Steenhuisen said.

The regulations also introduce specific provisions for communal and peri-urban livestock systems, acknowledging that traditional disease-control measures developed for commercial farms are not always practical where grazing land is shared and ownership structures differ.

“This is an important step forward because our disease control framework must work for all livestock owners, not only for commercial farming operations. The realities of communal and peri-urban livestock systems require practical solutions that recognise how these production systems function,” the minister said.

Other changes include allowing well-fenced farms to isolate affected sections of a property instead of automatically placing entire farms under quarantine, while larger operations with separate production units will benefit from more targeted movement controls.

The department has also streamlined procedures for declaring herds clinically clear and introduced defined response timelines for applications to move livestock products.

Steenhuisen said the updated framework was developed through consultation with veterinary experts, industry representatives, and the Ministerial Task Team established to tackle the disease.

“These measures are the product of extensive collaboration between the Department of Agriculture, the Ministerial Task Team, the FMD Industry Coordination Council, and veterinary experts from across the sector. They reflect the latest scientific evidence, recognise the realities facing farmers on the ground and provide a balanced framework that protects animal health while limiting economic disruption.” 

The announcement follows recent progress in South Africa’s vaccination campaign, with more than 5.4 million cattle vaccinated nationwide and an additional two million vaccine doses arriving in the country earlier this week.

The Department of Agriculture said the new measures will be reviewed as scientific evidence evolves, with a formal assessment planned within 12 months of implementation.

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