At the opening of a two -day National FMD Indaba in Pretoria in Pretoria, Steenhuisen said that the government was no longer willing to rely on outdated systems, fragmented authority and short -term measures to contain one of the most economically harmful animal diseases in the country.
“Export of cloves in Hoefde Dieren and their products were suspended or delayed, jobs were lost, and of course the reputation damage to our health system for animals will take time and action and conscious steps to repair.”
The Indaba follows the confirmation of a new FMD outbreak on a commercial farm near Kroonstad in De Vrije Staat last week.
From July 2025 there were 270 reported outbreaks of FMD in five provinces, with KwaZulu-Natal being the most difficult.
The minister said that, despite the fact that FMD outbreaks were localized, the entire cattle industry of South Africa had paid the prize for general commercial restrictions of international partners who have no confidence in the possibilities of the country’s country control.
In one of the most striking announcements, Steenhuisen confirmed that two very experienced veterinarians – Dr. Emily Mogajane and Dr. NOMS MNISI – have been appointed for the development of an extensive National Regionalization Framework in Leiden.
This plan is intended to define and operational zones for disease control zones in all important livestock sectors.
“Every credible trading nation in the world understands the principle of regionalization,” he said.
“However, we are lagging behind when setting up, certifying and maintaining disease control zones that can be recognized and understood by our international partners.”
Steenhuisen attributed the delay to poor institutional coordination, a lack of legal clarity and weak capacity in national and provincial structures.
The minister also recognized the government’s own shortcomings, in particular the inability of Biological Products (OBP) of Onderstepoort to produce vaccines quickly enough to contain outbreaks.
“The National FMD vaccine bench was exhausted, the production cycle that was incorrectly aligned with outbreak realities, and OBP is currently missing the infrastructure to produce FMD vaccines on the required scale and speed.”
The country was recently forced to import FMD -vaccines from Botswana – a movement that the minister called a stopgap, not a sustainable solution.
To prevent future emergency situations, Steenhuisen said that the government was working to stabilize OBP and secure future -oriented delivery contracts to maintain minimal vaccine sharing levels.
He also called on the cattle industry to invest in a nationally managed but jointly funded vaccine bench for all controlled diseases that influence trade and production.
-Public-private partnership seen as the key to success
During his address, Steenhuisen emphasized that the state of FMD could not tackle alone and that cooperation with industry was vital.
“The message is very clear. The state cannot do it all alone. That is why his partnerships for growth one of the most important pillars of the agricultural department,” he said.
The minister encouraged the sectors with red meat, dairy and game sectors to support government efforts by co-investing in vaccine purchase and logistics of cold chains.
-Bortal infrastructure investment on the maps-
As part of the efforts to enforce animal movement controls and to reduce illegal trade, Steenhuisen said that the government would rule the financing of this financial year to establish feedlots and slaughterers in zones for disease protection-especially in Limpopo, Kwazulu-Natal and Mpumalanga.
“As long as animals are forced to be moved illegally because of the absence of local slaughterhouses or feedlots, we will never be able to effectively maintain motion control,” he added.
The minister also called for more investments in scientific research and innovation to improve biosafility and climate feet in the production of cattle.
Steenhuisen promised to collaborate with the National Agricultural Marketing Council to combat legal charges for research into animal health.
He praised the Turnaround at the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), which recently placed his first surplus in more than a decade, and called for a greater collaboration between arc and institutions such as the Biosecurity Hub of the University of Pretoria.
Steenhuisen concluded his comments by announcing the appointment of a Taken team to consolidate recommendations in the Indaba and to make them in a time -bound operational plan.
“Let us not only commit ourselves in theory, but also in budget and action plans to build livestock farming that is competitive, credible and safe”.
Read also
Jacaranda FM
www.jacarandafm.com