South Africa unveils a new framework for managing Foot-and-Mouth Disease, balancing the need for effective disease control with the economic stability of farmers and the livestock trade.
South Africa has introduced a new national framework to manage Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), with the government saying the measures are designed to curb the spread of the virus while allowing farmers to continue operating with fewer unnecessary restrictions.
The new control measures, approved by Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen, will come into effect once they are published in the Government Gazette. They replace a patchwork of directives that have guided the country's response to FMD outbreaks since 2019.
The Department of Agriculture said the new framework provides a single set of national rules covering every stage of an outbreak, from detection through to recovery.
“South Africa's livestock producers need certainty. They need clear rules, sound science, and practical pathways that allow them to manage outbreaks without unnecessarily jeopardising their livelihoods,” Steenhuisen said.
