Mpumalanga Set for Mass FMD Vaccination Drive

Parts of Mpumalanga will be prioritised in a nationwide mass vaccination programme aimed at containing the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen has announced.

Addressing the media at the GCIS Imbizo Centre in Cape Town, Steenhuisen said the Department of Agriculture would roll out an intensified vaccination campaign across all nine provinces to curb the spread of the highly contagious viral disease, which affects cloven-hoofed animals.

FMD has now been confirmed in eight provinces, with the Northern Cape the only province yet to record any cases. Mpumalanga and Limpopo have been identified as high-risk areas due to recurring infections, particularly in regions where buffalo farming has expanded.

According to Steenhuisen, the department has already vaccinated close to two million animals since the disease re-emerged in April last year. He said the new phase of interventions would focus on immediate mass vaccination in affected areas, followed by repeat vaccinations within three months.

“In those provinces, we will see 100% vaccination of feedlots and dairy cows, 90% of commercial animals and 80% of communal livestock,” Steenhuisen said.

He added that in hotspot areas such as parts of Mpumalanga, bi-annual vaccination campaigns would be introduced, especially along border zones where the risk of transmission remains high. Ongoing vaccination will also continue within designated protection zones.

The minister emphasised that the programme is critical to protecting livestock, safeguarding livelihoods and stabilising the agricultural sector, particularly for small-scale and communal farmers who are most vulnerable to the economic impact of outbreaks.

Local farmers in Mpumalanga are urged to cooperate with veterinary services and ensure their animals are presented for vaccination as the campaign is rolled out in the coming weeks.