KZN farmers voice alarm over foot-and-mouth disease burden on dairy sector

Farmers in KwaZulu-Natal remain deeply concerned about the ongoing foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak, with many warning of escalating costs and long-term risks to the agricultural sector.

The Agriculture Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz) said on Thursday that farmers in the province are calling for stronger interventions, noting that the crisis affects not only beef producers but also dairy farmers who face significant cost burdens.

Wandile Sihlobo, Agbiz chief economist, said the issue dominated discussions during a September 29 engagement with agribusiness representatives in the province.

“The general sentiment from folks in the region was that the agricultural conditions are favourable, which is a picture we painted from a national perspective in our previous letter,” Sihlobo said.

“However, one aspect that got many people in the room engaged was the ongoing challenge of foot-and-mouth disease among dairy producers in the province.”

Banks highlighted the financial strain on clients, while dairy farmers described the daily challenges of managing herds under FMD restrictions. Unlike beef producers, who face lost export markets, dairy farmers battle rising feed and production costs with little relief.

“This was a valuable input because many of us in central South Africa and the northern regions typically think of foot-and-mouth disease from the perspective of beef producers; rarely do we consider its cost burden on dairy farmers as well,” Sihlobo said.

“Indeed, for beef producers, the central issue is the temporary closure of various export markets, while farmers must continue to feed the cattle, thereby significantly increasing costs.”

Questions were also raised about South Africa’s limited vaccination strategy. While vaccination is seen as a critical tool, supply constraints and reliance on government veterinary services have slowed progress.

Sihlobo said stronger biosecurity systems and vaccine production capacity are urgently needed, adding that partnerships with the private sector should be encouraged.

“We also learned more about the constraints on vaccination supplies in certain areas. These aren't new issues, and we have discussed them at length in this letter; however, hearing about the picture of KwaZulu-Natal from the affected individuals was illuminating,” Sihlobo said.

“We must ensure that entities capable of producing critical vaccines for our livestock industry receive the necessary government support to partner and roll out the measures needed to support the sector. We no longer need just one centre of manufacturing, but rather multiple centres where capabilities exist. Thereafter, also nudge the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure to assist with fencing to ensure the strict control of animal movement in the country.”

TLU SA general manager Bennie van Zyl echoed these concerns, stressing that dairy farmers “have a bigger problem than beef producers” and called for private veterinarians and companies to be allowed to play a bigger role in both vaccination and vaccine manufacturing.

“For them, as they explain to me, the dairy producers  cannot overcome this food and mouth so easily as the beef producers. My question is why only government vets are allowed to apply these vaccines,” Van Zyl said.

“My request is to go to the private sector. The sooner the better and the bigger. That will give us a better solution for this. Even to produce and manufacture the vaccines as well. The private sector has a way to do this much more efficiently and quickly than the government does.”

Government, however, insists work is underway.

Department of Agriculture deputy director-general Dipepeneneng Serage said vaccines have been ordered and regular vaccination programmes will be rolled out in high-risk provinces including KZN, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga. He added that the department is looking at establishing abattoirs in FMD-prone areas so vaccinated animals can be slaughtered safely and still fetch market value.

“We are realising the cost burden that vaccinated farmers who own vaccinated animals face, and this means we need to find a way of establishing abattoirs in the FMD areas so that the animals can still fetch prices that they're supposed to fetch and to ensure that farmers have markets for FMD-vaccinated animals,” Serage said.

Agbiz and industry leaders maintain that tackling FMD requires greater investment, stronger public-private partnerships, and improved control of livestock movement to protect both the dairy and beef sectors.

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