FMD National Disaster Update — 13 February 2026

1. National Disaster Declaration — Major Shift in Government Response

• President Cyril Ramaphosa has officially declared the FMD outbreak a national disaster following escalating infections across multiple provinces and mounting economic impact. This elevates the response to the highest level of executive intervention, meant to unlock resources and stronger intergovernmental coordination. 
• A national FMD task team, including appointed experts such as Dr Gary Bauer from the wildlife sector, is now advising the response strategy to bridge livestock and wildlife disease control. 

What this means: Disaster classification means the state can mobilise funds and logistical support more flexibly than under routine animal health policy frameworks. Plans are being synchronised across national, provincial and industry bodies.

2. Disease Spread and Active Outbreaks

• The virus, first identified at scale in 2021 and widely spread since early 2025, now affects seven of South Africa’s nine provinces — with confirmed outbreaks in traditional livestock-producing areas. 
• Recent confirmed cases include a quarantine on a dairy farm near Mossel Bay (Western Cape) this week, with adjacent livestock showing clinical FMD symptoms. 
• A farm in the Kuruman district (Northern Cape) has also been lab-confirmed and quarantined, intensifying concerns about geographic spread. 

Movement control and quarantines remain central to containment, but outbreaks in new districts highlight ongoing transmission challenges.

3. Government and Provincial Actions

• Provinces including the Western Cape have allocated funding and begun emergency vaccinations and investigations at confirmed sites. 
• The Ministerial Task Team is coordinating vaccination strategy and movement control, but implementation capacity issues and vaccine supply remain points of contention with industry stakeholders. 

4. Vaccination Program — Local and Imported Supply

• South Africa has resumed domestic production of FMD vaccines for the first time in over 20 years. Initial batches are rolling out, with plans to scale weekly production progressively. 
• The government’s stated goal is to vaccinate up to 80 % of the national herd, estimated at ~12–14 million cattle; procurement and deployment strategies are being conducted centrally. 
• Imported vaccines from partners like Botswana, Turkey, and Argentina are being used to supplement local production. 

Industry feedback: Farmers and representative organisations have criticised the pace and distribution of vaccines and have urged greater private sector involvement and flexibility in procurement.

5. Economic and Trade Impacts

• South African beef exports fell by around 26 % in 2025, driven by export restrictions — including a substantial reduction in shipments to China after that market imposed a ban in mid-2025 due to the outbreak. 
• Movement restrictions, auction closures, and supply chain bottlenecks are imposing financial strain on producers and downstream processors. 
• Representative bodies like AgriSA are urging urgent coordinated implementation of the national response to stabilise the sector and protect livelihoods. 

6. Ongoing Challenges & Biosecurity Context

• Veterinary infrastructure and systematic disease control capacity are under scrutiny; experts warn that weaknesses in national systems have exacerbated the outbreak. 
• FMD continues to circulate in livestock and wildlife interfaces (notably African buffaloes), complicating eradication efforts and necessitating sustained movement controls and tracking. 
• Livestock industries such as dairy and pork remain on alert for cross-sector spillovers amid persistent transmission risks.