Nico Killian, NWRPO chairperson, petitioned all role players in the province’s red meat industry to adhere strictly to the official FMD protocols.
“Biosecurity is of the utmost importance to prevent the spread of the disease. It is also vital that farmers make sure that they are aware of the origins of any cattle allowed on their farms,” he said.
The North West Department of Agriculture and Rural Development confirmed an outbreak of FMD in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District, specifically in the JB Marks Local Municipality, on 16 June 2025.
According to a statement by the department, it was alerted by a private veterinarian in the district about the possibility of an FMD case. The state veterinarian collected samples, which were sent to the Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute (OVI) to test for the disease, which proved positive.
“Another incident was detected at an abattoir in Madibeng. The clinical signs of the affected animals were missed at ante-mortem inspection, but were detected on the slaughter line during a meat inspection process. Tissue samples were sent to the laboratory and the results came back confirming both SAT 2 and SAT 3 types of the virus,’ the statement read.
The live animals were escorted back to the farm of origin, a feedlot in Ventersdorp, through a Red Cross permit. Both farms linked to the outbreak have been put under quarantine.
Following the activation of its Operational Centre (OC) and the rollout of Phase 1 of its coordinated response to the escalating FMD outbreak, the Red Meat Industry Services (RMIS) in the meantime announced the formal appointment of the FMD Working Group.
According to a RMIS statement, the FMD Working Group included leading experts in veterinary science, diagnostics, disease control, and industry representatives. The group was mandated to establish a structured, time-bound response focused on vaccination, disease containment, and the development of sustainable biosecurity systems.
