The Red Meat Industry Services (RMIS) has welcomed the Agriculture Department’s long-term strategy for addressing the spread of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD).
Agriculture Minister, John Steenhuisen yesterday announced the department’s 10-year strategy to address the FMD outbreak, starting with a mass vaccination drive which will prioritise high-risk provinces.
The department is said to have budgeted R1.8 billion to buy vaccines
RMIS CEO, Dewald Olivier says,”The picture is obviously at this stage, for the guys on the ground it seems very bleak. We started 2026 and what we saw was a continuation of the problems that we suffered in 2025. However, I think with the announcement that the minister made yesterday, a lot of the information that came through is stuff that will help us. We are anxious and we await the time and the date for the vaccines to come into SA and I think when that happens, a weight will lift because then we can start protecting the animals.”
WATCH | Wandile Sihlobo from the Agricultural Business Chamber has reassured South Africans that the meat available in stores is safe to eat, despite the ongoing foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in the country. pic.twitter.com/fn0FHrvvTs
— SABC News (@SABCNews) January 15, 2026
🎥 | No One Left Behind 🇿🇦🐄
Government remains firmly committed to the fight against Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD).Through a coordinated national response, including the vaccination of the national herd, we are working to protect farmers, safeguard livestock, and secure… pic.twitter.com/V5t8Z9rjoe
— National Department of Agriculture (@DOAgov_ZA) January 14, 2026
