South Africa Produces First Locally Made Foot and Mouth Disease Vaccines in Over 20 Years
Farmers Magazine | 10.02.2026 14:01
Scientists at the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) have completed the first batch of locally produced Foot and Mouth Disease vaccines in more than two decades at the Onderstepoort Veterinary Research facility. The vaccine was developed entirely by ARC scientists and technical teams, using local expertise and infrastructure to restore South Africa’s production capability. Local vaccine production had stopped in 2005 due to limitations in infrastructure and compliance, and rebuilding the capability required years of research on virus strains, upgrades to facilities, and implementation of strict biosafety and regulatory standards. The completion of this first batch represents a major milestone in strengthening national animal health and biosecurity.
