South Africa has released its first domestically produced foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine in nearly 20 years, aiming to curb the country’s worst outbreak in years. Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen and the Agricultural Research Council announced an initial batch of 12,900 doses, with production expected to rise to 20,000 doses per week by March.
The government plans to vaccinate 80 percent of the national herd of 12 million cattle, including 7.2 million on commercial farms. Previously, South Africa relied on imports from Botswana, Argentina, and Türkiye.
The move comes amid criticism from livestock farmers over the government’s handling of the outbreak, with two groups threatening legal action. FMD is highly contagious, causing painful blisters and reduced productivity in cattle.
Credit : CGTN
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