July 2026: The long-awaited Section 9 Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) regulation has now been published, providing the South African beef industry with a clearer framework for the control measures relating to FMD, marking a significant milestone in the country’s ongoing battle against the disease.
This is the view of Roelie van Reenen, supply chain executive at Beefmaster Group, who welcomes the gazetting of the milestone Report.
“The revised regulation is significant as it provides much-needed economic relief for SA beef role players. It allows stakeholders to operate very differently compared to previously, and opens the door to a new era in how we conduct business, access markets and source cattle,” says van Reenen.
New regulations provide clarity and economic relief
The beef industry has eagerly been awaiting the publication of the Section 9 Report since government gazetted Section 10 of the Animal Disease Act in May 2026.
“Previously, producers who pre-emptively vaccinated their herds – even outside quarantine or controlled zones – were excluded from economic participation as they would lose market access. This is because these herds would then be viewed as FMD-positive. The new framework addresses this challenge,” says van Reenen.
He adds that all stakeholders faced significant economic losses in the cattle supply value chain as result of FMD.
“Now there is a better structure that ultimately creates an economic incentive for producers to report cases and findings,” says van Reenen, adding that an economic incentive must be in place for compliance to happen.
Science-backed regulations provide economic benefit
Another significant benefit of Section 9, says van Reenen, is that the regulations have been informed by the latest scientific research, including findings from a recent study led by Professor Armanda Bastos of the University of Pretoria in collaboration with the Red Meat Industry Services (RMIS).
The study, conducted in April 2026, questioned whether South African slaughter regulations for FMD-recovered cattle are scientifically justified. Its findings pointed to opportunities for policy reform that could significantly reduce economic losses without increasing disease risk, particularly in relation to slaughter protocols. It recommended removing requirements such as mandatory deboning and the disposal of offal under regulations, noting that these measures add considerable cost without a commensurate impact on limiting the spread of the disease. This has now effectively been solved for under the revised regulations.
“We are pleased that the rules governing how market-ready animals are managed and sent for slaughter have taken science into account,” says van Reenen.
Hard work has been worth it
Van Reenen says the new regulations have made the significant sacrifices and investment required to operate amidst the FMD crisis, worthwhile.
“Operating in an environment with a high chance of disease infection required substantial financial commitment, strict biosecurity protocols, and close collaboration between primary producers, veterinary professionals across the country and dedicated internal teams. The publication of Section 9 symbolises that the short-term pain and sacrifices were necessary to
get us to this point. For those of us who have spent years fighting FMD, and carrying the costs, workload and countless hours required to remain as disease-free as possible, Section 9 is confirmation that those efforts were worth it.”
Vigilance still required
Van Reenen cautions that the battle against FMD is far from over.
“Our biosecurity principles will not change, and we will not be relaxing our standards. The danger remains very real. The difference is that vaccination now gives us a weapon with which to fight.”
He adds that the supply of vaccines needs to now be priority.
“As an industry, we should also be looking at procuring our own vaccines rather than relying entirely on government to provide it to us, giving us more agency and choice.”
The road to recovery is just beginning
Van Reenen says that Section 9 represents an important step in the right direction, but it is likely to be a long road until the FMD crisis is resolved.
“We still require a great deal of cooperation if we are to gain FMD-free with vaccination status, and that process is likely to take many years, and possibly even many more unless cooperation prevails. We stand too much to lose if we don’t, such as being excluded from parts of the global beef economy, forcing the industry to operate in relative isolation at the southern tip of Africa. We cannot afford to let that happen. An industry that feeds us, is an industry worth fighting for,” concludes van Reenen.
