Watch: Government bungles Foot-and-Mouth, say farmers

Estcourt Farmers Association lashes out at the inaction of government, calling for the privatisation of FMD vaccine distribution.

January 8, 2026

Rod Skinner 2 minutes read

Dead cattle litter a field as FMD hits hard.

The Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak sweeping through Northern KwaZulu-Natal has finally hit Ladysmith, Winterton, Estcourt and surrounding areas.

Reports began trickling in just before Christmas that FMD was here. Now, desperate farmers are warning that their livelihoods and the fate of the agricultural sector is at risk.

However, despite the reports, the movement of cattle remained virtually uncontrolled in our area.

Cattle wandering down rural roads, despite the FMD outbreak.

While the disease remained in outlying towns, farmers in the Ladysmith and Winterton areas continued business as usual.

The disease mainly kills young calves up to three months old, and while it affects both beef and dairy farmers, it has particularly devastated dairy farms.

Estcourt Farmers Association

Estcourt Farmers Association chairman Shaun Braithwaite has lashed out at the inaction of government, calling for the privatisation of vaccine distribution. He posted this heartfelt note about the FMD outbreak…

“Six weeks after vaccinating, we were hit with Foot-and-Mouth Disease. We believed we were safe until February; we weren’t”

Christmas devastation

On December 16, everything started to collapse and milk production fell 50% in eight days. Cattle foaming at the mouth and 48 weaned heifers were dead. We had over 100 mastitis cases and more than 100 lame cows.

Farmers face death at every turn with FMD.

“Animals standing on fresh, green rye-grass… not eating. Our staff were exhausted, working through Christmas, missing time with their families just to keep animals alive,” he added.

Hope fading

With medicine bills piling, losses stacking up and hope fading, we were powerless. This isn’t just a farm problem, it is a food security issue. This is rural livelihoods, this is South Africa’s livestock industry under threat. We did what we were told, we vaccinated with the BVI vaccine, we followed the rules and when the outbreak came, we stood alone! To those in power: Farmers need help now, not apologies later. Privatize the FMD vaccine and give give us access.

“Give us a fighting chance, because behind every statistic is a farmer, a worker, a family, breaking quietly while trying to feed a nation,” he pleads.

In Dundee, farmers grappling with the issue are also feeling clearly overwhelmed.

Farmers say the crisis is being ignored

The chairman of the Dundee & District Farmers Union, Andrew Adams, earlier went on record about the situation, which he said had been deteriorating for months and is now inflicting severe damage on the industry.

“It’s been a crisis for six months already. The poisonous fruit of this crisis is now dropping and it’s going to affect everyone,” he warned.

Adams further criticised what he described as indifference from decision-makers. “It feels as though the Northern Natal farmer is of no consequence to national government. We were almost relieved when the largest feedlots in South Africa also tested positive – hoping it might finally be treated as a national crisis. But it seems that, as the saying goes: All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”

Click to receive news links via WhatsApp. Or for the latest news, visit our webpage or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Join us there!