Disease management and control starts at the farm gate

The ongoing foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak is not only affecting the beef industry but also dairy farmers, small stock producers, and potentially pig farmers. Dr Peter Evans, who is leading the Red Meat Industry Services' response effort, spoke to Sabrina Dean about FMD management and control.

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There are only two provinces in South Africa that have never reported cases of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD): the Northern Cape and the Western Cape.

The disease is currently present in all other provinces, with outbreaks from 2019 having resulted in the country losing the FMD-free without vaccination zoning status previously held.

According to the latest outbreak report compiled by the Department of Agriculture's Animal Health Directorate, the country has reported 11 outbreaks since 2019 that affected the country’s FMD-free zone status, of which four remain unresolved with the World Organisation for Animal Health.

Government said in a statement on 14 July that as of July 2025 a total of 270 FMD cases had been reported across five provinces in South Africa (this includes cases in the former infected/endemic zone). Of these, 249 cases remain unresolved, while 21 have undergone resolution.

Cause for concern, however, is the continued spread of the disease, with the most recent cases confirmed in KwaZulu-Natal on 6 July, North West on 11 July, and Free State on 18 July. The last confirmed cases in Gauteng and Mpumalanga were both on 20 June 2025.

NOT HARMFUL TO HUMANS BUT ECONOMICALLY DEVASTATING

Dr Peter Evans has been appointed to head up the industry response against FMD on behalf of Red Meat Industry Services (RMIS). His role is to collaborate with industry, government, and producers to negotiate the animal health and biosecurity concerns, as well as economic fallout affecting domestic production and exports.

Evans says the disease has become widespread and is affecting all types of livestock farming.

"Whether it's feedlots, communal farms, commercial farms that have breeding cows, and dairies as well, it has really spread pretty widely and we (stakeholders) are extremely disappointed about this."