Germany to aid SA in disease control
South African agriculture minister John Steenhuisen and Germany’s Federal minister of agriculture, Alois Rainer, have signed a Joint Declaration of Intent to strengthen bilateral cooperation on Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) control and the trade of animal products.
The agreement, signed on Tuesday evening in Cape Town, establishes a diplomatic framework to address biosecurity challenges and agricultural trade barriers. The partnership arrives as South Africa continues its efforts to contain FMD outbreaks that have impacted the national livestock sector.
Steenhuisen described the agreement as a vital lifeline of technical expertise and innovation, stating that the partnership is a powerful tool to safeguard the livestock industry and secure farmer livelihoods.
The cooperation focuses on five key areas: the exchange of best practices for outbreak prevention, the development of robust FMD monitoring systems for wildlife populations, and exploration into advanced immunisation, including mRNA technologies. Furthermore, the two nations will collaborate on research for diagnostic tools—specifically "Differentiating Infected from Vaccinated Animals" (DIVA) tests—and the management of risk materials in controlled slaughter environments.
Steenhuisen noted that the collaboration offers a structured pathway to modernise disease control, paving the way for long-term expertise exchange, skills enhancement, and the integration of cutting-edge agricultural technology.
