Another case of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) has been identified in the Eastern Cape, this week, specifically in the Amahlati Local Municipality, within the Amathole District.
Eastern Cape Confirms New Foot-and-Mouth Disease Case
Chief State Veterinarian Dr. Ayla Newmarch confirmed the virus was isolated through a positive PCR lab test. The affected animal was born and is an adult in a village in Keiskammahoek, where earlier cases were identified this month.
Tracing efforts have yielded limited information, with the owner reporting no recent introduction of new animals or travel. Dr. Newmarch noted that in communal grazing settings, the source could originate from an unidentified person or animal.
“There is a team of animal health technicians sampling any new suspect cases,” she said.
KZN Remains Epicentre of FMD Outbreak
Last month, Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen stated that KwaZulu-Natal is currently the epicentre of the FMD outbreak. The department aims to receive two million doses of FMD vaccines by February of next year, delivered in two consignments.
Gert Blignaut, CEO of Beefmaster Group, welcomed the government’s commitment to combating FMD, emphasizing the urgency of the situation. “Our industry cannot afford delays,” he stated.
Blignaut added that trade agreements allowing products from vaccinated herds to enter export markets are crucial for industry stabilization, potentially by 2026.
“We have navigated a significantly volatile environment, and this is likely to continue deep into 2026/27. Between February and May 2025, slaughter cattle prices climbed by around 15%, driven by scarcity.”
Increase in Cattle Prices
While the impact on consumers in 2025 was influenced by economic pressures like inflation and unemployment, South African beef remains relatively affordable globally, according to Blignaut.
He explained that FMD, which has impacted the industry since 2019, continues to be a significant threat. The disease spread throughout the country in 2025 and then aggressively entered the feedlot industry in the middle of the year, increasing cattle prices by an additional 10%.
“FMD makes it difficult to compete economically. It adds direct costs because you must put safeguards in place to protect your business, and it distorts prices in a way that ultimately impacts the consumer. FMD has evolved into an economic disease.”
Dr. Theo de Jager, Executive Board Chairman of the Southern African Agri Initiative (Saai), criticized the Department of Agriculture’s expected vaccine cost of R300 per head as excessive.
“The disastrous spread of this state-controlled disease can be directly attributed to the incompetence of senior officials within the department itself, and farmers – who have already suffered losses of R5.6 billion – cannot also be expected to foot the bill for government failure,” he said.
De Jager noted that recent vaccine purchases by the Red Meat Industry Services (RMIS) cost R60 per dose, with even cheaper options available from Brazil and Turkey.
“Farmers find it contemptible that the state and tenderpreneurs are trying to extract excessive profits from a national disaster that has already financially ruined hundreds of farmers. The state should carry the full cost of its own failure,” he added.
De Jager stated that the department lacks the capacity to manage the crisis and should partner with the private sector, led by industry experts, free from political interference.
Dr. Jaco De Villiers of the Red Meat Action Group (RAG) suggested a solution focused on establishing compartments and controlling movement at the ground level, with state veterinarians taking direction from industry rather than politicians.
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