South Africa’s long-running foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) crisis appears to be moving toward better control, yet farmers continue to bear the financial burden of vaccines. Minister of Agriculture Willie Aucamp has called on farmers, veterinarians, industry stakeholders and government institutions to work together to strengthen the country’s response to the disease.Speaking during an FMD panel discussion at Kragdag in Gauteng, Aucamp stressed that biosecurity is not merely a set of rules or regulations. It is a shared responsibility that demands commitment from every participant in the livestock sector. The discussion centred on the need for cooperation in preventing, managing and reducing the impact of animal diseases.
Aucamp emphasised that protecting South Africa’s livestock industry requires a united approach in which each stakeholder clearly understands their role. Only through coordinated action, he said, can the country build a stronger and more resilient agricultural sector capable of withstanding future disease challenges.
While recent efforts, including improved vaccine access and industry-government agreements, have helped stabilise the situation, the ongoing cost of vaccination remains a significant concern for many producers. The Minister’s message underscores that lasting success against FMD will depend on continued collaboration across the entire value chain.
Farmers and their veterinarians can now jointly order foot-and-mouth disease vaccine through the red meat industry body’s existing veterinary ordering platform. This follows negotiations that began in May this year to make vaccine available for private purchase by producers.The mobile application has already been used successfully over the past two months to distribute more than 2.5 million doses of government-funded vaccine nationwide. Now 4.5 million doses of Bio aftogen vaccine have been purchased and became available for ordering by veterinarians from the afternoon of 7 August.A veterinarian places the order on behalf of the producer. Both the veterinary practice and the producer must have a valid global location number that forms part of the industry’s traceability system. The producer pays for the vaccine into an independent trust account, and once payment is received the order is confirmed.
Automatic WhatsApp notifications keep both parties informed, and the status can be tracked on the app. On delivery a QR code is scanned to confirm receipt, creating a full record that links every dose to a specific veterinarian and farm. This supports reporting and oversight of a state-controlled disease.More than 100 veterinarians already used the system during the earlier distribution, and any registered veterinarian can gain access through a simple verification process.
Over 12 800 global location numbers are already registered on the system, and 18 other private role-players have been integrated, with each party’s data kept separate while still enabling distribution and tracking.The vaccine will cost R46 per dose, excluding VAT, subject to the exchange rate. This price includes distribution and a standard veterinary fee, with no profit markup added by the industry body. The aim is to give producers access to quality vaccine at the lowest possible cost, with full traceability and veterinary supervision, thereby strengthening the national fight against foot-and-mouth disease. Discussions are already under way for a further consignment because demand is high and more vaccine is needed in the country as soon as possible.
But the truth is, everyone’s in it for business. A lot of money is being made out of this epidemic, and farmers are the ones paying for it.
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