JOHN STEENHUISEN | South Africa’s biosecurity is a shared responsibility

In the face of escalating global biological threats to our agriculture and food systems, biosecurity has never been more critical.

The recent foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak, which has ravaged our livestock sector since its resurgence in early 2021, stands as a stark reminder of the extent of the vulnerabilities South Africa faces.

As of mid-February 2026, more than 800 active outbreaks have been reported across all nine provinces, marking this as the most severe FMD crisis in recent history.

This outbreak has disrupted exports, strained rural economies, and threatened the livelihoods of countless farmers.

FMD is, however, just one of many risks: from avian influenza decimating poultry to invasive plant pests like the fall armyworm wreaking havoc on maize crops and emerging threats such as African swine fever or citrus greening disease.

Our biosecurity ecosystem must contend with a host of animal and plant health challenges that could undermine food security and economic stability if left unchecked.

We’ve activated a local production line capable of producing 20,000 FMD vaccine doses per week initially, with plans to scale up significantly. This follows a period of 15 years where there was no capacity to do so

Biosecurity — the measures we take to prevent, detect and respond to biological threats — is no longer a luxury; it is now the basic foundation of a resilient and thriving agricultural sector.

South Africa’s agriculture contributes more than R500bn to our GDP annually and employs millions, making it a cornerstone of our economy. Strong biosecurity protects animal and plant health, ensuring safe trade and preventing zoonotic diseases that could spill over into human populations. But rebuilding our biosecurity ecosystem requires more than government action. It demands a collective commitment because biosecurity is ultimately everybody’s responsibility.

At the farm-gate level, farmers must implement on-farm protocols like controlled access, regular health monitoring, and proper waste management. Transporters and traders need to adhere to hygiene standards during the movement of goods.

Citizens must play a role too: by reporting suspicious plant or animal symptoms and avoiding the illegal importation of potentially contaminated products. Even tourists and travellers must comply with border controls to prevent inadvertent introductions of pests or diseases.

As minister of agriculture, I have prioritised recapacitating the key institutions to bolster our defences. The Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP) vaccine distributor has been plagued by past inefficiencies and corruption scandals. Today OBP is on the path to revival because of the department’s commitment to ensure that it is one of the premier animal health facilities in the world.

Similarly, the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) is being strengthened through increased funding and partnerships to enhance research on disease surveillance and diagnostics. As a result of this, we’ve activated a local production line capable of producing 20,000 FMD vaccine doses per week initially, with plans to scale up significantly. This follows a period of 15 years where there was no capacity to do so.

By investing in OBP and the ARC, we’re building long-term capacity to produce vaccines domestically, reducing reliance on imports and ensuring much faster responses to future threats.

The re-establishment of the Biosecurity Hub at the University of Pretoria allows us the perfect forum to bring together academics, plant scientists, veterinarians, virologists and epidemiologists from the private and public sectors to help redesign and repurpose our biosecurity ecosystem.

Biosecurity transcends individual farms or government departments; it is a national imperative that unites us all

We must also move determinedly towards a “whole of government” approach by ensuring greater collaboration between government departments and agencies such as the Border Management Agency, the CSIR and the department of science & technology.

We are also able to draw valuable lessons from countries that have made biosecurity a national priority:

• Australia, for instance, maintains one of the world’s most robust systems through its strict border quarantine measures, risk-based import assessments and public awareness campaigns that engage citizens in reporting invasive species or unsafe practices. Their Co-operative Research Centres foster collaboration between government, industry and academia, enabling proactive eradication of threats before they escalate.
• New Zealand offers another example: with its emphasis on training accredited persons to inspect imported goods and mandatory biosecurity education for frontline workers, they’ve dramatically minimised risks from sea and air cargo.

These nations demonstrate that success lies in ensuring integrated surveillance systems, harnessing new technology like AI-driven outbreak forecasting, and fostering a culture of shared vigilance. By adopting similar approaches — harmonising regulations, expanding education and training programmes, and enhancing public-private partnerships — South Africa can transform our biosecurity from reactive to resilient.

The FMD crisis has certainly exposed gaps, but it has also presented us with a ripe opportunity for redesign and renewal. Biosecurity transcends individual farms or government departments; it is a national imperative that unites us all.

I call on every South African — farmers, businesses, communities and policymakers — to embrace this responsibility. Together, through vigilance, innovation and collaboration, we can rebuild a biosecurity ecosystem that secures our agricultural future, protects our people and positions South Africa as a leader in global food security.

• John Steenhuisen MP is the minister of agriculture.