Photo: FW Archive
While the number of confirmed outbreaks remains limited, industry leaders warn that infection pressure across livestock systems is exceptionally high, requiring uncompromising biosecurity and close coordination across the value chain.
According to the South African Pork Producers’ Organisation’s (SAPPO) letter to its members on 6 January 2026, a single commercial piggery in the Free State tested positive for FMD in late November.
The farm includes an on-site abattoir, which has since been granted interim FMD designation to allow controlled processing of positive carcasses under strict risk mitigation measures. These measures, including regulated deboning and waste disposal, remain ongoing.
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Responding to questions from Farmer’s Weekly, Dr Thandi Chiappero, SAPPO’s head of consumer assurance, confirmed that this remains the only laboratory-confirmed FMD case in a commercial piggery nationally.
In KZN’s Bergville/Winterton area, three commercial sites were identified in December 2025 as highly suspicious and were placed under precautionary quarantine while laboratory results are pending.
Chiappero said reports from the region indicated more severe clinical signs than those observed in the Free State, including high mortality among suckling piglets and pigs aged between 14 and 18 weeks.
SAPPO is currently liaising with provincial veterinary services and the Red Meat Abattoir Association to facilitate approval of a designated abattoir should controlled slaughter become necessary.
A controlled disease with strict legal duties
Chiappero emphasised that FMD is a controlled, notifiable disease under the Animal Diseases Act, placing a legal obligation on producers to immediately report any suspicion to both private and state veterinarians.
Once notified, state veterinary services determine the control measures, which typically include quarantine with movements allowed only under red-cross permits, controlled slaughter at designated abattoirs, and regulated disposal of high-risk material such as heads, trotters, and offal.
Addressing concerns about previous outbreaks, Chiappero clarified that while there was a severe livestock FMD situation nationally in 2022, the pork industry itself experienced only limited incidents thereafter.
A minor case involving roaming pigs in the Eastern Cape resulted in the culling of 121 animals, but these were not part of a commercial operation and later tested negative following culling.
Vaccine gap raises concern
One of the most pressing challenges facing the pork sector is the absence of an approved FMD vaccine for pigs in South Africa. Chiappero explained that vaccines currently available in the country are formulated for cattle and cannot be used in pigs, as they cause severe necrosis at the injection site.
She confirmed that SAPPO, together with industry partners and the ministerial task team, is investigating two oil-based vaccines registered for use in pigs elsewhere in the world.
“We are hoping to obtain permission to import these vaccines within the next three months, after which limited trials in pigs can begin,” she said, adding that manufacturer details could not yet be disclosed.
Laboratory capacity constraints are also delaying strain identification, with Chiappero noting that diagnostic facilities are currently under significant pressure.
Biosecurity under the spotlight
SAPPO’s Pork 360 programme and compartmentalisation system are widely regarded as benchmarks for biosecurity in the livestock sector. However, Chiappero cautioned that current infection pressure is “exceedingly high”, particularly due to the broader national FMD situation in cattle.
“Keeping cattle away from pigs is more important than it has ever been,” she said.
Producers are urged to enforce strict on-farm hygiene protocols, ensure no pigs move without valid health declarations and permits, and tightly control visitor and vehicle access. Any unusual clinical signs or unexplained mortalities must be reported immediately.
Biosecurity from the farm gate: a producer’s reality
For commercial producers on the ground, the renewed threat of FMD has reignited memories of earlier disease shocks. Charlie Fourie, owner of commercial pig operations in Randfontein and Potchefstroom, told Farmer’s Weekly that the current uncertainty has left producers deeply unsettled.
“When African swine fever hit in 2020, we lost our entire herd of 1 400 sows,” Fourie said. “It was devastating, but it also gave us the opportunity to start again with the best genetics available. Now, with FMD in a commercial piggery, everyone is on edge.”
Fourie, who currently runs around 2 400 sows near Potchefstroom and a further 750 sows in Randfontein, said the most troubling aspect of the current situation is the lack of clarity around how the virus is reaching high-biosecurity farms.
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“No one really knows how FMD is getting into pig units, just like no one really knows how African swine fever gets onto some farms,” he said.
“Pig farmers in South Africa are renowned globally for being proactive about biosecurity. I’ve travelled extensively and seen farms around the world – our standards are right up there. Yet these diseases are still finding their way in, which is quite terrifying.”
According to Fourie, the response at farm level has been to intensify already stringent protocols.
“We’ve increased monitoring and ongoing training for all our staff. Biosecurity and personal hygiene are constantly reinforced,” he said.
His operations include on-farm canteens to prevent animal by-products from unregistered suppliers entering the system, compulsory protective clothing, and strict bans on jewellery and cell phones inside production areas.
“We also have showers and changing facilities more than 100m from the farm,” Fourie explained.
“Staff change out of their clothes, shower, and only then enter the production area. Many farmers do the same and yet somehow these diseases still get through.”
Vaccine frustration and industry vulnerability
Fourie echoed SAPPO’s concerns regarding vaccines, noting that there is currently no effective FMD vaccine available for pigs in South Africa, while vaccines for cattle are in short supply due to widespread demand.
“The vaccine doesn’t work in pigs, and pig farmers are at the bottom of the food chain when it comes to access,” he said.
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“Pork is a much smaller industry compared to beef and poultry. And of course, there’s no vaccine at all for African swine fever.”
He added that most producers rely heavily on their private veterinarians and SAPPO for guidance during outbreaks.
“We generally deal through our vets, who then engage with SAPPO and the government. Big pig farms are quite isolated from direct government interaction – everything goes through industry structures.”
Welfare and financial implications
While FMD is not considered as devastating as African swine fever for the pork industry, Chiappero warned that its impact on pig welfare and farm finances can still be severe. In affected herds, losses of up to 80% of piglets from a single week’s farrowing have been reported, although these losses are typically temporary and resolve within about two weeks.
Even short-term production disruptions can translate into significant financial pressure for producers, with knock-on effects for the pork supply chain, consumers, and export confidence, she said.
Aligning the value chain
Beyond the farm gate, SAPPO stressed the importance of alignment across the pork value chain. Clear communication between producers, state veterinarians, and abattoirs is essential, particularly regarding readiness to operate as FMD-designated facilities.
Abattoirs must demonstrate adequate chilling capacity, strict biosecurity separation, and environmentally approved waste disposal options, including rendering, burial, or incineration.
The way forward
Chiappero emphasised that responsibility for controlling FMD is shared between animal owners, private veterinarians, and the state. SAPPO is engaging national and provincial animal health authorities to ensure pig-specific contingencies are incorporated into official plans, including movement attestations for healthy pigs destined for slaughter.
“This is an extremely stressful and high-risk time for the livestock industry,” she said. “But if all role players act decisively and responsibly, we can minimise the spread of disease and safeguard the future of South Africa’s pig herd.”
