Farmers demand more action as FMD crisis deepens

2026-03-24 - 05:20

Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen met the acting police minister and AgriSA yesterday to discuss rural and communal safety issues, including cross-border stock theft and the improvement of the nationwide CCTV network in the fight against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). Steenhuisen has welcomed the swift intervention by the SA Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) to expedite the importation of six million Dollvet vaccine doses to combat FMD. “ Vaccine imports accelerated amid outbreak concerns This follows a Section 21 permit issued on Friday for two million doses of the vaccine, he said. “Sahpra has confirmed that two additional permits for the remaining four million doses will also be issued. This phased procurement in lots of two million is a logistical necessity in light of the current conflict in the Middle East,” the minister added. Steenhuisen also confirmed five million doses of the Biogénesis Bago vaccines are also on order and confirmed one million doses of this vaccine and 1.5 million doses of Dollvet arrived in the country last month. “I want to recognise the vital role the private sector has played in navigating the complexities of vaccine acquisition and logistics. “To our farmers and all the role-players walking beside the department of agriculture in this fight, thank you for your resilience and cooperation. “We are not fighting this battle alone and it is through this united front that we will protect our national herd and ensure long-term food security,” Steenhuisen said. Farmers voice frustration over delays TLU SA chair Bennie van Zyl said farmers were eagerly await the next doses of vaccines. “The ball is in the hands of the state, the department and Sahpra while we wait for the import permits. We all expected it to happen faster; there are too many feet being dragged into the situation, and it is a dilemma,” Van Zyl said. Southern African Agricultural Initiative CEO Francois Rossouw said complaints were streaming in because there weren’t any vaccines coming into the country and being rolled out as promised. “The Agricultural Research Council said it would be delivering a batch every week, but they have only delivered once, when it was launched and suddenly said they didn’t have the equipment to deliver the rest,” he added. However, the Red Meat Action Group’s director, Harry Hepton, said the latest FMD update by Frikke Mare of the Red Meat Producers Organisation (RPO) confirmed what every farmer already knows: the disease is not under control and the pressure on producers is increasing daily. “Collaboration, better communication” and faster implementation are not solutions. Calls for accountability and urgent action “These are words that have been repeated for months while vaccines do not reach farmers on time, movement control is inconsistently applied and producers alone bear the financial burden. “If the RPO and other role-players have access to decision-making, then a serious question arises. Why does nothing change?” Hepton added that farmers do not need another report on their situation; they need action. “If the committees and advisory bodies are not willing or able to enforce a clear, enforceable plan, demand political accountability and deliver results within set time frames, then there must be honesty – a public, legally based stance against the failure, or dissolve the structures and make way for representation that truly acts on behalf of producers,” he added. Western Cape ramps up vaccination efforts Over the weekend, Western Cape premier Alan Winde announced the province’s coordinated FMD response plan has been bolstered with the arrival of 8 000 more vaccine doses. He said this will supplement the 100 000 the province received last week, bringing the total number to 170 400 received. “Over 121 000 doses have been administered at 438 vaccination sites, with the support of 29 private vets. These herculean efforts to contain and eradicate FMD are proceeding well,” he said. Provincial agriculture, economic development and tourism minister Ivan Meyer said the province will be intensifying FMD checkpoint operations to ensure full compliance with veterinary movement protocols going into the busy Easter period.