South Africa turns to Brazil as foot-and-mouth disease threatens livestock survival 17h ago
South African Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen signed a Memorandum of Intent and Action Plan with Brazilian Minister Andre Carlos Alves de Paula on Thursday to combat the country's persistent Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) crisis. Brazil, which achieved FMD-free status without vaccination from the World Organisation for Animal Health on May 29, 2025, after 64 years of policy implementation, will provide technical expertise on vaccination protocols and monitoring. The 2026-2028 Action Plan includes South African experts visiting Brazil in May 2026 and a subsequent seminar. This follows a separate agreement with Argentina securing 2.5 million vaccine doses, with five million more pending approval. The government faces legal pressure, as the Gauteng High Court granted a postponement but imposed punitive costs and ordered Steenhuisen to publish a compulsory vaccination scheme by May 5, criticizing the response as lethargic.
