A team of South African animal health experts will later this month travel to Brazil for an intensive knowledge exchange on Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), traceability and surveillance methods.
Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen made the announcement during a media briefing in Cape Town on Tuesday, 5 May 2026.
Reporting on the outcomes of his trip to Latin America, the Minister said the visit forms part of the outcomes of high-level engagements in Brazil and Argentina aimed at strengthening South Africa’s response to Foot-and-Mouth Disease.
Steenhuisen said the engagements marked a strategic set of partnerships and interventions designed to move the country from a defensive posture to a decisive offensive in the war against FMD.
In Brazil, South Africa signed a Memorandum of Intent (MoI) and an Action Plan which will immediately accelerate FMD eradication efforts.
Steenhuisen said the collaboration draws on Brazil’s success in achieving FMD-free status without vaccination, recognised by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) as of May 2025.
“Their 64-year journey offers us a roadmap for our own ten-year strategy. We do not have to reinvent the wheel. We can adjust and follow the blueprint that has already led others across the finish line,” Steenhuisen said.
The Minister said South Africa’s strategy is now anchored in moving from a reactive state to a partnership-driven model that prioritises scientific results and reliable supply chains.
He said the partnership could also pave the way for a proposed Brazil–South Africa Biosecurity Corridor, including joint early-warning systems and harmonised risk assessments, turning biosecurity from a trade barrier into a bridge for economic growth.
The Ministerial visit to Brazil was the first to operationalise some of the outcomes of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State Visit, which took place in March this year.
The Minister said the outcome of these visits is a fundamental shift in how South Africa handle animal health, noting that the country is moving away from isolated, reactive measures toward a South-South Strategic Alliance.
“By integrating international science with local production, we are closing the gap between policy and practice. We are bringing the private sector into the fold under government coordination to ensure vaccines reach every farm as efficiently as possible,” Steenhuisen said.
The Minister reiterated that the country has no shortage of vaccines, adding that the plan is to build a resilient, competitive, and sustainable agricultural sector that will restore international confidence in South African beef and livestock.
“It is important that our farmers know that we have heard their cries. There is no shortage of critics, but given the enormity of this task, we are making steady progress.
“The war against FMD is far from over, but for the first time in decades, there is a solid, scientific plan to steer us in the right direction,” said the Minister.
Vaccine distribution agreement with Argentina
Steenhuisen noted that in Argentina, focus was on securing a steady vaccine supply.
“We cannot fight a biological war without ammunition. We have already distributed 2.5 million doses of FMD vaccines which were procured from the renowned vaccine manufacturer, Biogénesis Bagó in Argentina,” he said.
The Minister announced that another five million doses are ready for export, pending the finalisation of the required import procedures.
“During this visit, OBP and Biogénesis Bagó signed a distribution agreement that will guarantee that our vaccine pipeline remains stable and reliable.
“The Agricultural Research Council (ARC) has also renewed its partnership with Argentina’s National Agricultural Technology Institute (INTA) to ensure our vaccine innovation remains worldclass,” Steenhuisen said. – SAnews.gov.za
