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Agriculture

Foot and Mouth Disease Outbreaks in South Africa Spark Alarm

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

South Africa's agricultural sector is facing growing concern after a recent outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) was confirmed on a commercial farm in the Free State province. The latest development marks a significant expansion of an already widespread issue, with 270 FMD outbreaks reported across five provinces since July 2025. The majority of these outbreaks, 249, remain unresolved, causing distress among stakeholders within the agricultural sphere.

Key Takeaways:

  • The FMD outbreak in the Free State marks a significant expansion of the disease, with 270 reported outbreaks across five provinces.
  • 249 of the 270 outbreaks remain unresolved, causing concern among agricultural stakeholders.
  • The province of KwaZulu-Natal has been the hardest hit, reporting 191 outbreaks, with 172 still open.
  • The Eastern Cape, which has reported 40 outbreaks, has seen no new cases since September 2024.
  • Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz), has called for increased investment in vaccine manufacturing and improvement of biosecurity controls.
  • Francois Rossouw, CEO of Southern African Agri Initiative, has emphasized the need for a coordinated, transparent, and uniform national response to contain the disease.
  • Dr Frikkie Mare, CEO of Red Meat Producers' Organisation, has stated that the FMD situation remains a big problem, with the disease spreading faster than countermeasures can keep up.

Statistics:

  • 270 FMD outbreaks reported across five provinces since July 2025.
  • 249 of the 270 outbreaks remain unresolved.
  • 191 outbreaks reported in KwaZulu-Natal, with 172 still open.
  • 40 outbreaks reported in the Eastern Cape, with no new cases since September 2024.

Sources:

  • Wandile Sihlobo, chie economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz). (Source: [1] Sihlobo's statement on July 10, 2025)
  • Francois Rossouw, CEO of Southern African Agri Initiative. (Source: [2] Rossouw's statement on July 2025)
  • Dr Frikkie Mare, CEO of Red Meat Producers' Organisation. (Source: [3] Mare's statement on July 2025)

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