EASTERN CAPE – The Eastern Cape Department of Agriculture has welcomed an emergency intervention by the provincial government, which has committed R55 million towards efforts to contain the ongoing Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak.
In a statement, Agriculture MEC Nonceba Kontsiwe said the funding would allow the province to secure vaccines and critical veterinary supplies needed to roll out an extensive vaccination programme aimed at limiting the spread of the disease.
The emergency funding has enabled the province to place an order with state-owned vaccine supplier Onderstepoort Biological Products SOC Ltd (OBP). The procurement meets OBP requirements, allowing the company to source vaccines from international manufacturers in Turkey and Argentina.
In total, approximately 1.05 million vaccine doses are expected to be secured.
“We are encouraged by these interventions to help the sector recover from the setback caused by Foot-and-Mouth Disease,” said Kontsiwe.
“The outbreak poses a threat to livestock production, the dairy industry and ultimately food security. These measures will assist in curbing the spread of the disease, protecting livestock and safeguarding jobs in the sector.”
Nationally, South Africa has already received one million vaccine doses fromArgentina, of which 150,000 doses have been allocated to the Eastern Cape by the National Department of Agriculture. These doses will be used to vaccinate approximately 150,000 animals across priority areas in the province.
The consignment follows the earlier delivery of 2,600 doses produced by theAgriculture ResearchCouncil (ARC) in mid-February. Those vaccines were administered in the Kouga communal farming area to protect nearby dairy farms and prevent potential job losses.
Priority vaccination areas
Following a risk assessment, the department has identified several priority zones for the rollout.
The first phase will focus on the border municipalities of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Matatiele, and Ingquza Hill, which neighbour KwaZulu-Natal where outbreaks have affected both communal and commercial farmers.
Authorities plan to establish a protective buffer zone between the Eastern Cape and affected districts in KwaZulu-Natal, particularly Ugu and Harry Gwala. Vaccination will begin on the outer edges of the affected region and move inward towards the initial infection area to slow further spread.
Dairy industry and high-risk zones
A second priority is protecting the dairy sector and surrounding high-risk areas within a 10km radius of infected farms.
Vaccines will be allocated to dairy farms following engagement with the MilkProducers’ Organisation (MPO). Private veterinarians will work alongside state veterinary officials in line with the National FMD Control Strategy.
Communal farmers within affected zones will also be included in the programme. Currently, 13 dairies and farms in the Amathole District have been affected — including eight in Amahlathi, one in Great Kei and one in Buffalo City Metro — along with two in the Chris Hani District and one in the Sarah Baartman District.
Hotspot districts
Vaccinations will also target identified hotspots in Chris Hani and Joe Gqabi Districts, including areas such as Komani, Ngcobo, Maletswai and the James Calata region. Additional areas in Mbhashe, Mnquma, Amahlathi, Raymond Mhlaba and suspected infection zones in the OR Tambo District will also receive attention.
Officials believe targeted vaccinations in these areas will significantly slow transmission and protect communal grazing systems.
Commercial pig production units are also expected to benefit indirectly as disease pressure is reduced.
Additional response measures
Authorities have identified a localised infection cluster in Mount Ayliff and Ntabankulu, where emergency veterinary response teams are prioritising affected epidemiological units within 48 to 72 hours.
Containment plans also include protecting the province’s disease-free buffalo herds in game reserves. Cattle farms and communal areas surrounding reserves in Amathole, Sarah Baartman and Joe Gqabi Districts will therefore receive priority vaccination.
This includes areas around Mpofu, Fort Fordyce and Oviston game reserves.
A second batch of vaccines, expected to arrive during the first week of March, is set to strengthen containment efforts as the province works to prevent further spread of the disease.
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