Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen has approved new national foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) control measures that consolidate previous directives into a single framework for managing outbreaks.

The measures, which will take effect once published in the Government Gazette, are designed to provide farmers, veterinarians and veterinary authorities with clearer guidance on disease control while reducing unnecessary economic disruption and supporting continued trade where it is safe to do so.

Single framework replaces previous directives

The new measures replace the 2019 FMD Contingency Plan, subsequent amendments and related protocols issued under the Animal Diseases Act.

According to the Department of Agriculture, the framework establishes a consistent national approach to managing outbreaks from detection through to recovery, providing greater certainty for livestock producers.

The updated measures also clarify that vaccinated animals that have never been infected and have not been placed under quarantine may continue to be traded and moved under normal requirements.

Greater flexibility for livestock producers

One of the key changes is the introduction of clearer pathways that allow trade to resume during quarantine periods once the risk of disease transmission has been appropriately managed.

Animals may be sent to designated FMD abattoirs from 16 days after a property has been declared clinically clear, while broader slaughter options, including export-approved facilities, become available after 42 days.

The framework also moves away from the longstanding assumption that entire herds must be removed before quarantine can be lifted.

Instead, producers will have several recovery options, including removing animals, restocking with vaccinated animals or introducing livestock from FMD-free sources, depending on individual circumstances.

Reducing losses while strengthening biosecurity

The updated measures reflect advances in scientific understanding of the FMD virus, allowing fewer animal products, feed, fodder and manure to be destroyed where they no longer present a disease risk.

Well-fenced farms will also be able to manage outbreaks within affected sections of a property rather than placing the entire operation under quarantine, while larger farms with separate production units will benefit from more targeted movement controls.

The measures further strengthen biosecurity by focusing restrictions on activities and materials that pose the greatest risk of disease transmission, while extending precautionary controls to suspected cases of FMD.

Support for communal livestock systems

For the first time, the framework includes dedicated provisions for communal and peri-urban livestock systems, recognising the different management challenges associated with shared grazing areas, multiple ownership arrangements and livestock movement patterns.

The Department said the new approach introduces practical quarantine management and targeted vaccination programmes tailored to these production systems.

Steenhuisen said the measures were developed through collaboration between the Department of Agriculture, veterinary experts and industry stakeholders, and would be reviewed as new scientific evidence emerges, with a formal review planned within 12 months.

Source: SA introduces new FMD framework to protect trade and livestock

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