In a Ministry of Lands and Agriculture (the ministry) press release, Dr Kobedi Segale, acting director of veterinary services, said laboratory tests have confirmed FMD in cattle at Jackalas 1 village in the Tsamaya Extension Area near Masunga. He added that surveillance is ongoing to determine the full extent of the outbreak.
The confirmation comes amid growing concern across the region, with both Zimbabwe and South Africa reporting recent FMD cases, raising the risk of cross-border transmission in shared grazing areas.
Infected area declared, controls tightened
In response, Botswana’s government has formally declared new infected areas under the Declaration of Foot and Mouth Disease (Infected Area) (No. 3) Order, 2026, published in an Extraordinary Government Gazette on 4 April.
The order places large parts of the country under strict disease-control measures and expands the list of FMD control zones.
Authorities have introduced sweeping measures, including:
- A ban on the movement of cloven-hoofed animals and their products into, out of, and within affected areas
- Increased surveillance and biosecurity enforcement
- Mandatory vaccination programmes in infected zones
- Powers to seize or destroy livestock and contaminated materials
- Strict penalties for non-compliance under the Diseases of Animals Act
Additional provisions allow limited movement of certain products under tightly controlled conditions, such as transport in sealed containers with veterinary permits, while some restrictions in specific zones have been lifted or adjusted to enable controlled trade.
Beef industry under pressure
The latest measures mark the third such declaration this year, as the outbreak continues to spread to new areas of Botswana.
For farmers, the tightening restrictions are expected to deepen economic strain. Movement bans are disrupting cattle sales, local trade, and export channels, while compliance costs and feed expenses continue to rise.
Concerns are mounting that prolonged restrictions could have severe consequences for the country’s beef industry, which relies heavily on maintaining disease-free status to access premium international markets such as the EU.
The ministry urged farmers and the public to remain vigilant, comply with all control measures, and report any suspected cases immediately.
