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National disaster declared amid livestock crisis
South Africa has classified the worsening foot-and-mouth disease outbreak as a national disaster, as the virus spreads across eight of its nine provinces, crippling rural economies and threatening farmers' livelihoods.
Economic and rural impact
Though agriculture accounts for a small portion of South Africa's economy, it remains a critical employer in rural regions and a key source of foreign exchange through livestock and meat exports. KwaZulu-Natal, the epicenter of the crisis, is the country's dairy heartland, where farms stretch across rolling green hills near the Mooi River.
Failed containment efforts
Despite biosecurity measures-including disinfection points at farm entrances, roadblocks, and restrictions on cattle movement-the virus has continued to spread. The highly contagious disease, transmitted through direct contact or contaminated feed and water, causes painful blisters in animals' mouths and hooves, leading to lameness, reduced milk production, and sometimes death in young livestock. While harmless to humans, the outbreak has devastated herds.
Farmers count the cost
Carol Houston, who runs a large commercial farm with her husband, saw her herd of 2,200 cattle infected last month. Her staff first noticed symptoms when 50 cows displayed signs of mastitis and struggled to walk. Despite spending approximately $380 per cow on treatment, including antibiotics, her farm's daily milk output plummeted from 14,000 liters to 9,000 within days. Production remained depressed for two weeks until the infection was contained.
Now, workers meticulously inspect each cow for symptoms before milking, a process that continues under the scorching afternoon sun. Houston, a farmer with 35 years of experience, blames the government for failing to curb the outbreak-a sentiment echoed by fellow dairy farmer Peter Griffin, who has been in the industry for 44 years.
"This is a catastrophe that could have been avoided. We should never have reached this stage-the state has failed us."
Peter Griffin, dairy farmer
Government response and farmer skepticism
Foot-and-mouth disease is classified as a "controlled animal disease" in South Africa, placing responsibility for containment on the government. Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen has faced heavy criticism but recently unveiled a long-term plan to eradicate the disease within a decade. Immediate measures include mass vaccination in the worst-hit areas, with plans to extend coverage to most of the country's estimated 14 million cattle.
However, farmers like Houston remain doubtful about the timeline. "We were promised vaccines in January, then February-neither arrived. The delays are frustrating," she said. Any further postponement could spell disaster for small-scale farmers like Nompumelelo Ndlovu, who owns about 20 cattle and relies on buying and selling livestock for income.
"If the vaccine doesn't come soon, all my cattle will be at risk. That would mean the end of my business."
Nompumelelo Ndlovu, small-scale cattle farmer
Vaccine shortages and logistical hurdles
President Cyril Ramaphosa's declaration of a national disaster has unlocked additional funding and expedited vaccine procurement from abroad. South Africa currently lacks the capacity to produce foot-and-mouth vaccines domestically, a consequence of underinvestment and lost technical expertise over the past two decades, according to the Democratic Alliance, Steenhuisen's party.
The minister has announced plans to revive local production, but scaling up will take time. Meanwhile, a shipment of one million vaccines from Argentina is expected this weekend, though distribution challenges remain, and the quantity falls short of what's needed to cover the entire national herd.
Ntuthuko Shezi, head of investment firm Livestock Wealth, urged swift government action. "If we managed Covid-19 effectively, we can do the same with this outbreak," he said.
