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Sakeliga alongside the Southern African Agri Initiative (SAAI) and Free State Agriculture are heading to the High Court in Pretoria, on Tuesday, to challenge government’s obstruction of private sector procurement and the administration of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccines.
Strengthening Response: Agriculture Portfolio Committee Engages Farmers on FMD
The Portfolio Committee on Agriculture is on a week-long oversight visit to the Fezile Dabi District Municipality in the Free State.
Today, in Sasolburg, the Committee is engaging with farmers on… pic.twitter.com/TZ36YyTPCN
— National Department of Agriculture (@DOAgov_ZA) March 17, 2026
This follows a failed mediation process between Sakeliga and its partners with the state.
The organisations are seeking an application for an interdict to prevent government from blocking private individuals and entities from administering registered or authorised FMD vaccines to livestock.
#TheWeekendview pic.twitter.com/pEh1oHURsF
— SABC News Radio (@SABCNews_Radio) March 22, 2026
‘What we are challenging is the fact that the private sector and private stock owners want to vaccinate their cattle with legalised vaccines that are being imported by private labs. The state, at this stage, also uses those vaccines and that is why we can’t understand why the minister and the state don’t want the assistance from the private sector to cure this FMD in the country. The minister is talking about a plan to vaccinate 70% of the cattle by the end of this year. If you can get the private sector and the farmers to assist the minister, we can vaccinate the whole flock within two to three months and the second vaccination within six months also,” says President of Free State Agriculture, Francois Wilken.
RELATED VIDEO | Foot and mouth | Farmers take government to court over foot-and-mouth
www.sabcnews.com, https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/agri-groups-head-to-court-over-fmd-vaccine-restrictions/
