Red Meat is Safe to consume
25 February 2026, AMIE Red Meat is Safe to Consume Amidst the ongoing Foot-and-Mouth Disease crisis in South Africa, consumers are worried about the safety of red meat. Please note that FMD is not an illness that can jump from animal to human (zoonosis). Red meat is safe to consume. The reason why animals are […]
Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak declared a national disaster
13 February 2026, National Disaster Management Centre The Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak has been classified as a National Disaster in terms of the Disaster Management Act No. 57 of 2002. This declaration enables coordinated action across all spheres of government to contain the outbreak, protect livestock, and safeguard livelihoods and food security in […]
Minister John Steenhuisen announces the constitution of the new South African Veterinary Council (SAVC)
27 January 2026, Dept of Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen, has formally constituted the new South African Veterinary Council (SAVC) in accordance with the Veterinary and Para-Veterinary Professions Act, 1982 (Act No. 19 of 1982). The term of office of the newly constituted council will commence on 1 February 2026 and will run until 31 January […]
Submission of FMD field strains to the Pirbright Institute
23 January 2026, Dept of Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen, has officially announced that South Africa has resumed the submission of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) field strains to the Pirbright Institute in the United Kingdom. This marks the first time since 2011 that the country has sent FMD field strains to this global authority. Read more […]
Minister Steenhuisen appoints Industry Coordination Council to strengthen FMD response
21 January 2026 – Department of Agriculture Following last week’s announcement of South Africa’s national strategy to contain and control Foot and mouth disease (FMD), Minister of Agriculture Mr John Steenhuisen has formally appointed the FMD Industry Coordination Council to support its implementation. Read more here.
AMIE welcomes Minister’s update on FMD, stresses industry support to unlock vaccine scale-up
2 September 2025, Association of Meat Importers and Exporters AMIE welcomes yesterday’s (1 September 2025) briefing by the Minister of Agriculture on South Africa’s Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) response, including the procurement of additional vaccines, the lifting of certain Disease Management Areas (DMAs), and the establishment of an Industry / Government Task Team. These are important […]
Minister Steenhuisen to give update on FMD
28 Aug 2025, Department of Agriculture The DOA published a media advisory announcing that Minister Steenhuisen will give an update on the current Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) status on 1 September 2025 at 11:00. The minister will also outline the interventions made by the department to manage the disease. Read more here
Trade Restrictions on Argentina due to HPAI outbreaks
26 August 2025, Department of Agriculture The DoA has published a notice restricting trade following an outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Argentina. Consignments containing products packed in their final packaging on or after 03 August 2025 from Argentina will be rejected and returned to Argentina or destroyed at the importer’s cost. Read […]
Avian Influenza detected in Western Cape: Public urged to stay alert, not alarmed
02 August 2025, Western Cape Department of Agriculture The Western Cape Department of Agriculture (WCDoA) wishes to alert poultry farmers and the general public to new outbreaks of high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI), commonly referred to as “bird flu”. Recent outbreaks have been confirmed in chickens in North West and Mpumalanga provinces, with one poultry […]
Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) Indaba
22 July 2025, Department of Agriculture Country held hostage by a broken system – that is how Minister for Agriculture, John Steenhuisen positioned the current limitation and challenges with disease control in South Africa. He was speaking at the FMD Indaba, hosted by The Department of Agriculture and the Agricultural Research Council in Pretoria on […]