A 2-million-dose consignment of Biogénesis Bagó foot-and-mouth disease vaccine has arrived in South Africa and is ready for distribution to livestock producers through veterinary channels.
Two million doses ready for distribution
Red Meat Industry Services (RMIS) said the shipment is the first tranche of an additional 4.5 million doses made available to producers after orders opened on 7 August.
Almost half of the consignment has already been allocated, with 970 000 doses pre-ordered by producers through their veterinarians before the vaccine cleared the port.
RMIS said the shipment forms part of a collaboration aimed at strengthening disease control and resilience in South Africa’s livestock sector.
The consignment follows 2.7 million state-procured doses distributed to producers during the preceding two months. Those vaccines were paid for by the Department of Agriculture and allocated to the industry for distribution.
“This time the industry has funded the supply itself, adding volume to the market rather than waiting for it,” RMIS said.
RMIS says it has no commercial interest
RMIS said it is a non-profit company that administers the statutory levy on red meat and exists to serve the industry.
“It is not a pharmaceutical company and holds no commercial interest in this consignment. That is why RMIS adds no markup to the vaccine and will supply it at cost price. No funds flow to RMIS from these sales, not even a management fee,” the organisation said.
Producers pay for the vaccine directly into a ring-fenced account, while RMIS’s role is to collate demand and coordinate ordering, delivery and traceability, according to the organisation.
Dewald Olivier, RMIS chief executive, said producers should understand that RMIS is not selling the vaccines.
“This is the industry buying vaccines for itself, because a single farmer will find it difficult to import small quantities of vaccine. We are simply the vehicle that brings the industry together so that producers can access the vaccine they need, at the lowest possible cost and with full traceability,” he said.
Vaccination must take place through the appropriate veterinary and regulatory channels.
RMIS added that the collaboration between RMIS and Biogénesis Bagó demonstrates how industry stakeholders can work together to strengthen disease preparedness and improve access to critical animal health tools
Cross-sector procurement
RMIS said the vaccines were imported on behalf of producers affiliated with the Red Meat Producers Organisation, Stud Breeders Federation, South African Feedlot Association, Milk Producers Organisation and South African Pork Producers Organisation.
The order brings together commercial cattle producers, stud breeders, feedlot operators, dairy farmers and pig producers.
RMIS said the collaboration allowed the industry to negotiate volume and pricing collectively.
FMD has economic consequences
Professor Simphiwe Madikizela, a senior lecturer in economics at the University of South Africa’s School of Graduate Business and Leadership, said the arrival of the vaccines was significant for the livestock industry.
“Most importantly, we are moving towards a more proactive and decentralised approach to managing foot-and-mouth disease,” Madikizela said.
He said private access, through appropriate veterinary channels and within the regulatory framework, could give farmers greater control over protecting their herds.
“Foot-and-mouth disease is not simply an animal-health problem; it is also an economic problem. Every outbreak can disrupt livestock movements, constrain market access, affect prices, increase production costs and undermine South Africa’s ability to export red meat,” she said.
Madikizela said the availability of additional vaccines would allow producers to plan vaccination programmes with their veterinarians instead of waiting for supplies.
“However, private vaccination should not be viewed as a replacement for the government. It should complement the national FMD strategy,” he said.
Francois Rossouw, chief executive of the Southern African Agri Initiative (SAAI), said the arrival of the vaccines meant farmers were less dependent on the state’s capacity to protect livestock.
“It gives producers the ability to act, safeguard their own herds and become active partners in the national fight against FMD,” Rossouw said.
yogashen.pillay@nationalmg.co.za