Image Source: African Farming
Local – South Africa has reached a significant milestone in its battle against Foot and Mouth Disease, with the Agricultural Research Council successfully producing the country’s first locally manufactured FMD vaccines in more than two decades.
Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen visited the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) Onderstepoort Veterinary Research facility, where he received the initial batch of 12,900 doses. The achievement marks what the statement described as a fundamental shift in disease management strategy.
“This milestone signals a shift from reactionary disease chasing to a proactive, science-led War on FMD,” the statement read.
Breaking Two Decades of Dependency
South Africa ceased local vaccine production in 2005 due to ageing technology and infrastructure, which were non-compliant with international Good Manufacturing Practice standards. The production gap left the country reliant on imports for over twenty years.
Minister Steenhuisen acknowledged the severe emotional and financial toll the current outbreaks have taken on the agricultural community, offering reassurance that government support has arrived.
“To our farmers who have watched their livelihoods disappear before their eyes, I hear you, and I feel the weight of this hardship with you. This has been a long, exhausting road, but I want you to know that help is not just coming, it is here,” Steenhuisen said.
Ramping Up Production
Between 2010 and 2018, the ARC conducted intensive research to identify new candidate vaccine strains appropriate for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region and adapt them to modern bioreactor technology. The 12,900 doses were produced at pilot scale as proof of production concept.
The initial batch will be distributed across six provinces, with production capacity set to expand from March 2026.
“From March 2026, the ARC will be able to supply 20,000 doses per week of its monovalent SAT 1, SAT 2, or SAT 3 vaccine, and subsequently 200,000 monovalent doses per week from 2027,” the statement confirmed.
To bridge the supply gap, the government has secured additional vaccines, with the State having already acquired and administered two million vaccines through the Botswana Vaccine Institute.
