North West marks an achievement exceeding one million vaccinated head of livestock against Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD). This represents a significant breakthrough in efforts to contain the outbreak and protect one of the province's most vital agricultural sectors.
The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of North West announced on Monday that as of July 19, 2026, 1,032,615 head of livestock had been vaccinated. This figure places the province among the national leaders in the FMD vaccination program.
The mass vaccination campaign, which began in March, has already covered about 74% of the estimated livestock population in the province. Authorities plan to reach 80% by the end of August, which is a key milestone for achieving herd immunity and slowing the spread of the disease.
The Minister of Executive Council (MEC) of North West for Agriculture and Rural Development, Madoda Sambata, highly praised this achievement as an important milestone in the province's fight against the highly contagious livestock disease. He stated that reaching over a million vaccinated animals is an outstanding success and demonstrates the commitment, professionalism, and hard work of veterinary teams who have tirelessly worked across all four districts of the province.
Sambata emphasized that this stage brings them closer to the goal of vaccinating at least 80% of the provincial livestock population by the end of August, and ultimately, all suitable animals in the province.
This campaign is taking place amid government efforts to limit the spread of FMD, which poses a serious threat to livestock farming, animal trade, and rural life. Despite celebrating this achievement, Sambata warned that the campaign is entering a critical phase, and farmers, as well as veterinary officials, cannot let their guard down.
He noted that this is not the final destination, but merely an important step on a much longer path to controlling and ultimately eradicating the disease. The Minister also stressed that vaccinated livestock will require a second dose to ensure full protection against the disease. Sambata added that completing the first stage of vaccination does not mean that officials or farmers can relax; after completing this phase, they will need to return to administering the second dose to all vaccinated animals, as full protection depends on completing the entire vaccination schedule.
The Ministry of Agriculture announced the achievement of an agreement following prolonged negotiations concerning the management of the Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak.
The main principle of this agreement is that owners and managers of cloven-hoofed animals can conduct voluntary vaccination of their livestock against FMD, while adhering to established biosecurity requirements, legal regulations, and conditions, including traceability and reporting.
Agriculture Minister Willie Aucamp welcomed the agreement. The Ministry reported that the negotiations took place on Thursday in Pretoria with three parties involved in the case: Sakeliga, South African Agri Initiative (SAAI), and Free State Agriculture, as well as other participating parties.
Speaking after a press briefing, Aucamp emphasized that this agreement is a significant step forward in ensuring the stability of the country's agricultural sector. He noted that this is a victory not only for the parties involved but also for all South African farmers, as this sector contributes significantly to job creation and the country's GDP.
Aucamp added that this agreement demonstrates the government's willingness to cooperate with the private sector, as the government cannot handle this task alone. Therefore, they intend to continue supporting all industry and private sector participants in combating the spread of FMD.
He also stated that it is now necessary to allow the private sector to carry out large-volume imports, and for this reason, the Ministry and Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP) have officially relinquished exclusive rights to import and/or distribute FMD vaccines. Aucamp concluded that this stage is just the beginning, and the main priority will be the effective implementation of the agreed solutions.
