More than one million cattle vaccinated in North West's battle against Foot-and-Mouth Disease

North West Agriculture celebrates the milestone of over one million cattle vaccinated against Foot-and-Mouth Disease.

More than one million cattle have now been vaccinated against Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) in North West, marking a major breakthrough in efforts to contain the outbreak and protect one of the province's most important agricultural sectors.

The North West Department of Agriculture and Rural Development announced on Monday that 1 032 615 cattle had been vaccinated by 19 July 2026, placing the province among the country's top performers in the national FMD vaccination programme.

The mass vaccination campaign, launched in March, has already reached about 74% of the province's estimated cattle population, with authorities aiming to achieve 80% coverage by the end of August, a key benchmark for establishing herd immunity and slowing the spread of the disease.

North West MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development Madoda Sambatha hailed the achievement as a significant milestone in the province's battle against the highly contagious livestock disease.