Another Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak raises alarm among farming organisations

THE spread of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in South Africa has sparked renewed concern among agricultural associations following an alarming announcement from the Department of Agriculture on Monday.

- YOGASHEN PILLAY

The latest outbreak was confirmed on a commercial farm in the Moqhaka Local Municipality, Kroonstad, Free State, marking a significant expansion of an already troubling situation for the country's agricultural sector.

Reported on July 10, 2025, the new outbreak saw the affected property placed under immediate quarantine on July 8, and stringent control measures were implemented swiftly.

This development follows earlier announcements that disease management areas in the Eastern Cape and Limpopo would be lifted due to successful containment efforts. However, the optimism surrounding these areas is rapidly overshadowed by the resurgence of FMD in a new locality.

As of July 2025, South Africa has recorded a staggering total of 270 FMD outbreaks across five provinces. Alarmingly, 249 of these outbreaks remain unresolved, eliciting distress from various stakeholders within the agricultural sphere.

The province of KwaZulu-Natal has been the hardest hit, reporting 191 outbreaks, with a concerning 172 still open. In contrast, the Eastern Cape, which has reported 40 outbreaks, has seen no new cases since September 2024.