The Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, has announced that the first batch of one million high-potency vaccine doses from Biogénesis Bagó in Argentina is scheduled to arrive in South Africa this weekend. This shipment is the first phase of a broader agreement, with a further five million doses set to follow in March.
These vaccines are a critical component of the Department of Agriculture’s new strategy against FMD, where the national herd of over 14 million cattle will be pro-actively vaccinated, to ensure South Africa transitions to “FMD-Free Status with Vaccination”.
In addition to the Argentine supply, the Botswana Vaccine Institute (BVI) remains a vital partner; it has delivered two million doses to date since the recent outbreak and is scheduled to provide doses of FMD vaccine on a monthly basis.
Vaccines will also be supplied by Dollvet in Turkey through their local agent Dunevax. Last year, Minister Steenhuisen called on the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) to fast-track its production of the locally produced FMD vaccine that can protect livestock for up to 12 months. On 6 February 2026, the ARC handed Minister Steenhuisen the first batch of 12 900 locally produced FMD vaccines in over 20 years. These vaccines have subsequently been distributed to the provinces for vaccination. The ARC has committed to produce 20 000 vaccines per week and scaling up to 200 000 per week in 2027.
By end of March a total of over five million vaccines will have entered the country from three international suppliers.
“Our farmers are the providers of our food and the backbone of our economy, bringing essential foreign currency into the country.
“In these tough times, we all need to be working together.
“Every South African’s support is vital to help our farmers win this war against FMD. By following movement controls and biosecurity protocols, we protect the livelihoods of the entire nation,” Minister Steenhuisen said.
Veterinary capacity is also being expanded. “In terms of the Animal Disease Act, private veterinarians can register to administer vaccines as part of the rollout strategy. This will greatly improve the available manpower to ensure that we are able to meet our vaccination target of 80% of the national herd by December this year”, Minister Steenhuisen announced.
New FMD support line launches Wednesday
To better support our farming community, the department has established a dedicated FMD Control Centre. Starting this Wednesday, farmers can access a toll-free support line for expert guidance on FMD:
Toll-Free FMD Support Line: 0860 246 640
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Information about FMD symptoms;
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Advice on movement controls and permits;
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Updates on vaccine availability and vaccinations; and
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Practical tips on how to keep your farm biosecure.
The department also has an active WhatsApp channel that is dedicated to FMD Updates: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vags5R83gvWWZOhk9946
Status of FMD outbreaks per Province
The table below provides a summary of the FMD outbreaks per Province, as reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) as on 16 February 2026.
“Open outbreaks” indicate outbreaks that have not yet been resolved and closed with the WOAH. These may be locations with current active viral circulation, or locations with previous outbreaks that are in the process of being resolved. “Closed outbreaks” have been resolved, had their quarantines lifted, and were reported as closed to the WOAH.
|
Province |
Open outbreaks |
Closed outbreaks |
Total |
|
Eastern Cape |
18 |
0 |
18 |
|
Free State |
245 |
4 |
249 |
|
Gauteng |
188 |
3 |
191 |
|
KwaZulu Natal |
202 |
20 |
222 |
|
Limpopo |
10 |
0 |
10 |
|
Mpumalanga |
63 |
0 |
63 |
|
North West |
106 |
0 |
106 |
|
Northern Cape |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Western Cape |
3 |
0 |
3 |
|
Total |
836 |
27 |
865 |
Quarantine, biosecurity and movement restrictions
All FMD infected properties are immediately placed under quarantine on suspicion of disease. Movement of live cloven-hoofed animals and unprocessed products off the farm are not allowed. Farmers are advised on the implementation of biosecurity on the farms.
If an FMD outbreak is detected in animals that are not fenced in to prevent contact with other animals, where movement control cannot be effectively applied, or where there is no cooperation with the owners of the animals or the land on which the animals are found, then the declaration of a Disease Management Area (DMA) will be considered. A DMA is an area that is considered as one epidemiological “unit”, where premises are potentially epidemiologically linked. All properties in the area will be subjected to the same movement control conditions.
The Department of Agriculture will continue to provide regular updates as further vaccine consignments arrive and the national vaccination programme expands.
“This vaccination roll-out marks the beginning of restoring stability to the livestock sector and rebuilding confidence in our animal-health system Minister Steenhuisen said. If each role-player does their part whether farmers, veterinarians, transporters or consumers, we will regain control and move steadily toward FMD-free status with vaccination.”
Enquiries:
Director: Media Liaison Ministry of Agriculture
Ms Joylene van Wyk
Cell: 083 292 7399
E-mail: joylenev@nda.gov.za
#GovZAUpdates
