South Africa’s Pork Industry on High Alert Following Foot-and-Mouth Disease Case
Farmers Magazine | 12.01.2026 14:00South Africa’s pork sector has been placed on heightened alert after a commercial piggery in the north-western Free State confirmed a case of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). Additional highly suspicious cases are under investigation in KwaZulu-Natal. While the number of confirmed outbreaks remains limited, industry leaders warn that the infection pressure across livestock systems is exceptionally high. Producers are being urged to enforce strict biosecurity and maintain close coordination across the value chain to prevent further spread. FMD, although less devastating than African swine fever, can cause extreme losses in newborn pigs, with up to 80 percent of a week’s piglet crop potentially lost.
