South Africa Races to Protect National Herd as 3.5 Million FMD Vaccine Doses Arrive

South Africa has stepped up its fight against Foot-and-Mouth Disease after the arrival of the first batch of a 3.5 million-dose consignment of Biogénesis Bagó FMD vaccines from Argentina, with Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen calling on provincial departments to vaccinate as many animals as possible in the coming weeks. The shipment, described as the largest single consignment of FMD vaccines ever imported into the country, forms part of a wider national response that has already secured 13.5 million vaccine doses before the end of May 2026. Steenhuisen said the urgency is clear: South Africa must protect a national herd of about 14 million cattle, safeguard rural economies and move towards achieving and maintaining "FMD free with vaccination" status. The accelerated rollout will rely on provinces, veterinarians, animal health technicians, commercial farmers, communal farmers and industry bodies working together to strengthen frontline vaccination, enforce movement controls, improve animal identification and maintain strict biosecurity. Government says more Animal Health Technicians will also be appointed and deployed in affected provinces to expand vaccination capacity. The message to livestock owners is direct: defeating FMD is not only a veterinary task, but a national economic priority tied to jobs, food security, agricultural exports and the future stability of South Africa's livestock sector.