{"id":23418,"date":"2026-02-06T17:49:27","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T15:49:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jhb-webdevelopers\/channelafrica\/news\/sa-agriculture-minister-hails-return-of-local-fmd-vaccine-production-after-20-year-break\/"},"modified":"2026-02-27T16:34:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T14:34:13","slug":"sa-agriculture-minister-hails-return-of-local-fmd-vaccine-production-after-20-year-break","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/news\/sa-agriculture-minister-hails-return-of-local-fmd-vaccine-production-after-20-year-break\/","title":{"rendered":"SA Agriculture Minister hails return of local FMD vaccine production after 20\u2011year break"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The development marks a major turning point in SA\u2019s fight against FMD, signalling a move from reactive disease management to a proactive, science\u2011driven national strategy. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Central to this shift is the goal of regaining the <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">country\u2019s FMD\u2011free<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> status from the World Organisation for Animal Health (<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">WOAH<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">), using vaccines developed through collaboration between government, the ARC, and Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP).<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Speaking at the event, Steenhuisen acknowledged the heavy emotional and financial strain FMD outbreaks have placed on farming communities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cTo our farmers who have watched their livelihoods disappear before their eyes, I hear you, and I feel the weight of this hardship with you,\u201d he said. \u201cHelp is not just coming, it is here.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">He added that his department would \u201cstop at nothing\u201d to eradicate the disease, emphasising that the long\u2011term recovery plan forms part of a focused ten\u2011year strategy aimed at shifting the country \u201cfrom defence to offence\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cPlease do not lose faith; we are building a system that will protect your herds for generations to come,\u201d Steenhuisen said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Local FMD vaccine production was halted in 2005 due to outdated technology and infrastructure that no longer met international Good Manufacturing Practice standards.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">After nearly two decades of research, facility upgrades, and modernisation, the ARC has now delivered <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">12 900<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> doses produced using advanced bioreactor technology. The breakthrough included identifying circulating viral strains in the region and ensuring that the new vaccines offer high potency and long\u2011lasting immunity while complying with strict biosafety protocols.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Between 2010 and 2018, the ARC undertook intensive research to:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Identify new candidate vaccine strains suitable for the SADC region.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Adapt those strains to large\u2011scale in vitro production in bioreactors.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Test the strains\u2019 ability to elicit protective immune responses.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Determine vaccine potency and <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">immunity duration<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> to inform field vaccination schedules.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">These <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">12 900<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> doses were produced at pilot scale as proof of concept for the new strains and technologies. Initial distribution is as follows:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Free State: 2 300<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Eastern Cape: 2 600<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">North West: 2 000<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Gauteng: 2 000<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Limpopo: 2 000<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Mpumalanga: 2 000<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">From March 2026, the ARC expects to supply <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">20 000<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> monovalent doses per week (SAT 1, SAT 2, or SAT 3), with capacity <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">rising<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> to <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">200 000<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> doses per week from 2027.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">To ensure a <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">continuous<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> supply while local production ramps up, the Department of Agriculture has outlined its procurement strategy and <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">moved to correct<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> misinformation about private-sector imports.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Steenhuisen confirmed that the Department has no objection to designated import agents, such as Design Biologix (Biog\u00e9nesis Bag\u00f3, Argentina) or Dunevax (Dollvet, Turkey).<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cThe priority is the consistent arrival of vaccines, not the procurement channel,\u201d the Department stated.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Claims that vaccines should be provided free of charge were described as \u201cshort\u2011sighted and reckless\u201d, given international norms and the risks associated with unregulated products. The Department recently encountered such risks in KwaZulu\u2011Natal, where illegally imported vaccines posed serious biosecurity concerns.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Officials emphasised that the private sector remains a valued partner. Industry bodies, private veterinarians, and animal health technicians have been involved from the initial FMD lekgotla through to the Ministerial Task Team and the FMD Industry Coordination Council.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The Department reaffirmed its commitment to working with all stakeholders as SA enters a new era of disease prevention and vaccine security.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&#8211;ChannelAfrica&#8211;<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":22423,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"news-type":[44,26],"class_list":["post-23418","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-type-finance","news-type-general_news","entry"],"acf":{"short_description":"South Africa's (SA) Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, on Friday visited the country's Agricultural Research Council\u2019s (ARC) Onderstepoort Veterinary Research (OVR) facility, where ARC President and Chief Executive Officer Dr Mpho Magingxa handed over the first batch of locally produced Foot\u2011and\u2011Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccines in more than two decades.","published_date":null,"news_description":"South Africa's (SA) Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, on Friday visited the country's Agricultural Research Council\u2019s (ARC) Onderstepoort Veterinary Research (OVR) facility, where ARC President and Chief Executive Officer Dr Mpho Magingxa handed over the first batch of locally produced Foot\u2011and\u2011Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccines in more than two decades.","form_embed":"","author":"","image_caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/23418","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/23418\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26393,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/23418\/revisions\/26393"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22423"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23418"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=23418"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}