Over 94 000 cattle in the Eastern Cape have been vaccinated against Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), as part of the ongoing efforts to control and prevent the spread of the disease in affected and surrounding areas in the province.
According to the provincial Department of Agriculture, a total of 94 000 cattle were vaccinated last week and a further 973 were vaccinated in three farms within the Walter Sisulu District on Monday, 9 March 2026.
The department said the vaccination drive follows the arrival of the first 150 000 doses from a one million-dose consignment of the Biogénesis Bagó foot-and-mouth vaccine from Argentina, which reached the province late last week.
The department confirmed that it has ordered 1.05 million vaccine doses through the state-owned designated supplier, Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP), after receiving R55 million in emergency funding from the provincial Treasury last month.
“The vaccination team made of veterinary officials, animal health technicians and extension officers are working around the clock to vaccinate an average of 12 000 cattle per day across the province,” the department said in a statement on Wednesday.
Officials are prioritising high-risk areas, particularly municipalities bordering affected zones, before moving inward to other identified hotspots.
The Eastern Cape has an estimated cattle herd of 3.5 million. The latest vaccine consignment adds to the 2 600 doses previously received from the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) in mid-February.
“The ARC vaccines covered the area of the communal farm at Kouga in order to protect the dairy farms and potential job losses.”
On Monday, vaccination teams visited the Oosthuizen Farm in Draaihoek, where 208 cattle were vaccinated. This was followed by Strydfontein Farm, where 219 cattle were vaccinated.
Both farms are located in Maletswai and fall within a 10km radius of Joe Gqabi Kraal, which previously tested positive for FMD.
“Vaccination at these farms was carried out as a preventative measure aimed at strengthening disease control and reducing the risk of the virus spreading to nearby livestock,” the department said.
The third farm visited was Vaalbank Farm in James Calata, where 546 cattle were vaccinated.
The farm had previously shown suspected signs of FMD, and on 25 February 2026, veterinary officials collected five serum blood samples and two swab samples for laboratory testing.
“The vaccination of cattle at this farm was important in helping to reduce the viral load within the herd, thereby limiting the potential spread of the FMD virus to surrounding farms and communities,” the department said.
The department reiterated that these vaccination activities form part of broader disease control measures aimed at protecting livestock, supporting farmers, and safeguarding the local agricultural economy. – SAnews.gov.za
