DELMAS – More than 350 livestock have been vaccinated against foot-and-mouth disease as part of an ongoing Veterinary Services campaign aimed at preventing outbreaks and protecting farmers' livelihoods.
The vaccination programme, held at Mandela Kraal on 19 June 2026, also gave students enrolled in a livestock and crop farming learnership practical experience in animal health management.
Foot-and-mouth disease is a highly contagious viral infection that affects cloven-hoofed animals, including cattle, goats, sheep and pigs. The disease causes painful blisters in the mouth and on the feet, resulting in reduced milk production, weight loss and significant economic losses for farmers.
Local livestock owner Simon Jonathan Kgomo said the programme had improved his understanding of the importance of vaccination and livestock care.
"The programme was very important for my livestock because I now understand the role vaccination plays in livestock farming. Last week I saw two cows showing signs of foot-and-mouth disease. It also helped me see the bigger picture of farming and taught me that, as a young farmer, I need patience and genuine care for my livestock," he said.
Tebogo Sejeng, Chief Animal Health Technician in the Directorate of Animal Health under Veterinary Services, said farmer education remains a critical part of the department's work.
She encouraged farmers to control internal and external parasites to prevent diseases such as gallsickness and to vaccinate cattle annually against diseases common in the area, including lumpy skin disease.
Sejeng also advised farmers to provide protein licks during winter to prevent nutritional deficiencies and to castrate young bulls to avoid inbreeding. She added that sheep and goats should be vaccinated against pulpy kidney, receive booster vaccinations after three weeks and be dewormed to improve productivity and reduce mortalities.
She said 211 animals were vaccinated at Mandela Kraal during the campaign, bringing the total number vaccinated across several kraals to more than 350 out of a target of 1,500 livestock.
Learner farmer Tinyiko Vuma said vaccination remains one of the most effective ways to prevent outbreaks and protect the livestock industry.
"Foot-and-mouth disease is highly contagious and has serious implications for livestock productivity and trade. South Africa risks losing export markets whenever outbreaks occur. Vaccination is therefore essential, particularly in disease management areas where wildlife can carry and spread the virus to domestic livestock," she said.
Veterinary officials said continued vaccination programmes, disease surveillance and farmer education remain essential to protecting animal health, supporting rural livelihoods and safeguarding South Africa's agricultural economy.
