JOHANNESBURG - AgriSA has welcomed the release of South Africa’s first locally produced foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine in more than 20 years, describing it as a major step forward in combating the ongoing outbreak.
However, the organisation warns that the scale of the crisis remains severe and will require far more than a single intervention.
The vaccine, developed by the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), is intended to help contain the spread of the highly contagious disease, which has taken a heavy toll on farmers across the country.
Livestock losses, movement restrictions and market disruptions have placed significant strain on the agricultural sector.
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AgriSA President Willem de Chavonnes Vrugt said local vaccine production would play an important role, but stressed that additional imported vaccines would still be needed.
“Local production will definitely assist, but we will also need lots more imported vaccines to get over this crisis,” he said.
“This is a national issue, and it's something that we need to address as a country. If we work together and fight the virus and not each other, then we will succeed sooner rather than later, but if we fight and divide resources, then the virus is winning.”
On Tuesday, Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen visited the ARC’s Onderstepoort Veterinary Research (OVR) facility, where ARC President and CEO Dr Siyabulela Magingxa officially handed over the first batch of the locally produced FMD vaccines.
The development marks a shift from a reactive approach to a more proactive, science-led strategy in tackling FMD. According to the Department of Agriculture, the long-term goal is to reclaim South Africa’s FMD-free status from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).