Nick Serfontein calls on Steenhuisen because of the foot and mouth crisis

In an open letter to Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen, Serfontein says FMD has cost the country R1.5 billion in export markets this year alone. He adds that without proactive, timely action, the industry is likely to face immeasurable losses.

Here we go again: an open letter

Dear Mr John Steenhuisen,

I would like to start by recognizing your passion for agriculture, as well as the State Veterinarians in the Free State for their attitude and cooperation, and all the organizations in the red meat industry who are working together to develop plans to control the FMD epidemic.

Background

In 2018, I wrote an open letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa about my frustration with the lack of successful land reforms. The letter was not offensive; rather, it was a ‘plea’ to involve commercial farmers in land reform, because we want to see this country that we love so much, work.

The response to my letter was overwhelming, to the extent that I was asked to serve in Ramaphosa Expert Advisory Panel on Land Reform and Agriculturewhich turned out to be a very traumatic experience.

It’s now seven years later and nothing has changed. Land reform has been a failure for thirty years, continues to be a failure and will likely continue to be a failure for a long time due to outdated ideologies.

Over the past five years, I have challenged successful Black farmers from various platforms on their expectations of receiving title deeds. My prediction is that this won’t happen.

Let’s leave it at that.

A new abyss

South African farmers, large and small and of all races, face a new abyss. As a result of the FMD, we have lost R1.5 billion in export markets this year alone.

On May 14, 2025, I sent a letter to your office warning that a catastrophe was coming. On June 2, a A foot and mouth outbreak occurred at a Karan Beef cattle feeding yard. Although I had and still have immense sympathy for Karan, my words were that it had to be done.

There are four categories in the beef value chain:

• Informal: I have a lot of sympathy for these farmers because there is no other market for them other than loading cattle onto a cart and smuggling them to stay alive.
• Feed lot: this group goes through absolute hell, suffers enormous losses, yet makes plans to survive.
• Commercial: some may survive, albeit with enormous losses, but others will perish.
• Stud breeders: they are likely to be hardest hit as stud dogs from quarantined herds cannot be sold for 24 months under current legislation. We have some of the very best genetics in the world, but it means nothing if we can’t get them to market.

The task force of 30

A 30 member task team was established in July 2025 to address the foot and mouth situation. It is now four months later and no one can confirm that a concrete plan with specific goals and target dates is on the table.

Apparently there is a “war room” where information is gathered, but without a plan, goals and a “commander who understands warfare” it means nothing. And this is a war that could destroy the livestock industry.

In the meantime, the virus is spreading like wildfire. Some outbreaks are reported, but from my information most outbreaks are not. The entire livestock industry is under fire.

Dear Minister, our farmers can wait and see what happens, but that is not in our DNA. We cannot leave our future to veterinarians and scientists (regarding both) and a bureaucracy that bullies us. We have plans with objectives, logistics and estimated costs that have already been transferred to you or will be handed over this week.

Our request is simple: listen to us. This is a state of emergency.

We don’t want to fight, but we will be forced to when our survival is at stake.

Finally, our farmers are not aware of the progress that has been or is being made. A lack of communication gives the impression that no action is taking place.

Yours faithfully,
Nick Serfontein (in personal capacity)