Johannesburg, South Africa — 2026-03-16 South African Farmers Face Devastating Foot-and-Mouth Outbreak. Farmers in South Africa are addressing a severe outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, which has been declared a national disaster.
The Eastern Cape province, a key livestock region, has been hit particularly hard, with nearly 1,000 outbreaks reported across the country.
The government initiated a 10-year vaccination program in January to combat the highly contagious disease, aiming to vaccinate nearly 20 million cattle.
However, farmers like Igsahn Felix, based near Humansdorp in the Eastern Cape, have criticized the government for not acting quickly enough, allowing the crisis to escalate.
According to local reports, Felix’s cooperative of 22 subsistence farmers has lost 128 animals to the disease, with 14 fatalities.
The outbreak has also impacted neighboring countries, with reports of the disease in Botswana, Eswatini, and Zimbabwe.
The government’s vaccination drive is seen as an effort to contain the disease, although some farmers believe it has been too little, too late. “If we were vaccinated early enough, the disease wouldn’t have been here and we would have not lost that much money, “Felix told AFP.
The outbreak has led to South African beef being banned in Zambia and China, key importers. Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen announced in February that he would not seek re-election as leader of the center-right Democratic Alliance (DA), citing the need to eradicate the disease.
The situation remains critical as farmers in the Eastern Cape recover from months of severe drought.
There are fears the virus will spread to the country’s third-largest dairy, Woodlands Dairy, also located in Humansdorp.
The dairy employs more than 1,000 people, and an outbreak could have a significant economic impact. Further details are expected as the government continues its vaccination efforts and farmers seek ways to contain the spread of the disease.
*Additional reporting by ImNews | Sources consulted: 5*
