In a media statement issued on 25 June, the Department of Agriculture (DoA) said Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen had approved a single national framework that consolidates previous FMD directives, including the 2019 FMD Contingency Plan and subsequent amendments. The measures will take effect once they have been gazetted.
The revised framework is intended to provide clearer guidance for producers, veterinarians, and veterinary authorities, while balancing disease control with economic sustainability.
“South Africa’s livestock producers need certainty. They need clear rules, sound science, and practical pathways that allow them to manage outbreaks without unnecessarily jeopardising their livelihoods,” Steenhuisen said.
A shift towards risk-based management
One of the most significant changes outlined in the statement is a move away from blanket restrictions towards a more risk-based approach to outbreak management. The aim is to allow certain farming activities to resume where deemed safe.
Under the new framework, livestock may be sent to designated FMD abattoirs 16 days after a property has been declared clinically clear of the disease.
After 42 days, producers may once again access a broader range of slaughter facilities, including export-approved abattoirs, provided all relevant veterinary requirements have been met.
Steenhuisen emphasised that disease control and economic sustainability should not be viewed as competing objectives.
“The objective is simple: protect animal health and stop the disease spreading, while ensuring that farmers can continue operating safely wherever possible.”
The statement also clarified that vaccinated animals that have never been infected with FMD and have not been placed under quarantine remain healthy animals and may continue to be traded and moved under normal requirements.
Greater flexibility during recovery
According to the DoA, the new framework moves away from the historic assumption that entire herds must be removed before quarantine can be lifted. Instead, producers will have several recovery options, namely removing infected animals, restocking with vaccinated animals, or introducing stock from FMD-free sources.
Steenhuisen said the changes will reduce the devastating financial consequences that whole-herd culling can have on farming businesses.
“For many farmers, particularly those operating under difficult financial conditions, the prospect of losing an entire herd can be devastating. These measures introduce practical alternatives that are scientifically sound and economically realistic,” he explained.
The framework also allows well-fenced farms to manage outbreaks within affected portions of a property rather than automatically placing the entire operation under quarantine. Larger farms with clearly separated production units may also benefit from more targeted movement controls.
Less wastage, faster decisions
The statement said advances in understanding of the FMD virus had informed the updated protocols governing animal products, feed, fodder, and manure. Rather than requiring the blanket destruction of materials, these will now be managed according to scientifically established risk periods, reducing unnecessary losses while maintaining food safety and disease control standards.
The framework also streamlines procedures for declaring herds clinically clear and introduces clearer timelines for processing movement authorisations, as well as escalation mechanisms where decisions are delayed.
Provisions for communal livestock
The framework also recognises that not all livestock systems operate in the same way. For the first time, it now contains dedicated provisions for communal and peri-urban livestock systems.
According to the statement, previous outbreak strategies were largely designed around commercial farming operations and did not adequately account for communal grazing, shared ownership, and more complex livestock movement patterns.
The revised measures introduce targeted vaccination programmes and quarantine management approaches tailored to these production systems.
Collaboration is key
Steenhuisen said the framework was developed through collaboration between the DoA, the Ministerial Advisory Task Team on Animal Disease Prevention and Control, the FMD Industry Coordination Council, and veterinary experts.
According to the DoA, the measures will continue to be reviewed as new scientific evidence emerges, with a formal review scheduled within 12 months of implementation.
