Concerns Raised Over New Foot and Mouth Disease Outbreak in Free State

Red Meat Industry Services and farming association TLU SA have raised their voices of concern following the Department of Agriculture announcing a new Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak in the Free State earlier this week

The Department of Agriculture said that they informed the public and stakeholders of a new outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in the Free State. “On 10 July 2025, an FMD outbreak was confirmed on a commercial farm in the Moqhaka Local Municipality, located in the Kroonstad State Veterinary area. The affected property was placed under quarantine on 8 July 2025, and immediate control measures were implemented, including surveillance and vaccination.”

The Department added that trace-back activities are ongoing to determine the source of the infection, while farms in the surrounding 10-km radius are undergoing surveillance to determine the possible extent of the spread.

Dewald Olivier, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Red Meat Industry Services, said that the extent of the impact will depend on how accurately the source and spread of the outbreak can be traced, followed by effective containment. “RMIS remains committed to supporting the Department in these efforts to minimise disruption across the value chain. The expected impact of this new outbreak on the Disease Management Areas (DMAs) is a concern.”

Olivier added that it is important to differentiate between a confirmed case and a full outbreak.  “Only once tracing determines the extent and origin of the spread can the situation be evaluated for potential impact on existing or new Disease Management Areas (DMAs). The recent lifting of movement restrictions in Limpopo and the Eastern Cape demonstrates that containment is possible when protocols are followed and surveillance is effective. The Free State case reinforces the need for a flexible, risk-based system that allows for localised responses rather than blanket restrictions.”

Olivier said that RMIS continues to support the principle of regionalised management to protect movement and trade in disease-free zones while addressing risks where they emerge.

TLU SA general manager, Bennie van Zyl, said that they are concerned regarding the FMD outbreak. “It is expanding and it's getting worse and worse; this is something that's controlled by the government. You have to declare it immediately to your state veterinarian if you do have it on your farm. I think at this stage, we are now in a position that all role players should start bringing their part of the solution and make sure that we quarantine our cattle that are involved in that 10-kilometre radius around any outbreak.”

Van Zyl added that they are thankful for the upliftment of the DMA in the Eastern Cape, but we shouldn't lay back and think everything is fine. “I think we will still have some problems in due time there as well; again, at this stage, our request is that all role players should do their utmost best to make sure that they quarantine every case that we are aware of and make sure that we do not distribute it one way or another. It could have a huge impact on our farming community but also on the consumer at the end of the day because it will have an influence on the price.”

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