KZN livestock farmers urge disaster declaration amid Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak

THE KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) livestock farming community has called on the government to declare KZN a disaster area due to the outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD).

- YOGASHEN PILLAY

Leadership representing pork, dairy, beef, sheep, and game industries in KZN convened this week under the banner of Kwanalu (the KwaZulu-Natal Agricultural Union) to address the outbreak of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) in the province.

In a joint statement, they called on the government to formally declare FMD a disaster as KZN grapples to contain the spread. “In 2021, affected areas in the province were declared a Disease Management Area (DMA); the latest resurgence in 2023 has spread beyond this area and necessitated the expansion of the DMA; however, the spread continues outside of these areas.”

As reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health on April 30, 2025, KZN has experienced 167 outbreaks of Foot and Mouth Disease, of which 18 of these have been closed, with 149 still active.

“Notably, these numbers continue to increase following the 2023 outbreak originating from the Amajuba District. Despite gazetted containment efforts, continued disease spread is largely due to uncontrolled livestock movements, particularly from communal herds. The economic impact is severe and far-reaching, affecting all sectors of the livestock value chain and threatening the viability of commercial and emerging farming operations alike,” the statement said.