(Photo: Provided)
Agriculture has always lived with biosecurity risks, but the scale and frequency of recent outbreaks has changed the way the sector must think about it.
This is what Dawie Maree, head of agricultural information and marketing at FNB, said on Tuesday during a panel discussion at the Nampo Harvest Day outside Bothaville.
He emphasizes that an outbreak of a pest in crops can lower yields and undermine export confidence over several seasons.
“What was once considered a limited production problem is now clearly a system-wide threat to livestock, grain, fruit and vegetables, with implications for food security, trade and the resilience of the agricultural value chain.”
Maree also said that when biosecurity does break down, the consequences extend beyond just the farm gate.
“Producers face direct losses, additional costs and disrupted trade patterns, while export channels are suppressed and prices change drastically. The pressure runs through the value chain and into the wider economy.”
He says these are also rarely short-lived events. Recovery is often uneven, solutions are not always immediately available, and the path to stability depends on a mix of science, regulation and practical adaptation.
Maree also says that the extent of the impact often surprises people outside the sector.
(Photo: Facebook/Charolais Cattle Breeders’ Association)
“During the foot-and-mouth outbreak in 2021, which was limited to Mpumalanga, North West and Limpopo, the red meat industry alone suffered estimated losses of R2.1 billion. The current and much more widespread outbreak will likely exceed this by a large margin once the full costs have been calculated.”
He says bird flu has caused similar disruption in poultry, putting South Africa in the unusual position of importing eggs and breeding stock.
Maree pointed out that while these incidents differ in form, both show how biosecurity failures can become prolonged, multi-year disruptions rather than isolated setbacks.
Biosecurity as a strategic priority
Paul Makube, senior agricultural economist at FNB, says biosecurity requires a more honest and cooperative response from all stakeholders.
“In the case of foot-and-mouth disease, the current crisis has exposed government and industry failures. Surveillance protocols that had been in place for decades were not adequately enforced and livestock movements occurred in ways that accelerated the spread of the disease.”
Makube says South Africa now finds itself on the road to a “foot-and-mouth disease-free country without vaccination” status, the same route that Brazil followed over a period of 15 to 20 years.
According to him, this is not a quick fix, but rather a national program that will require sustained discipline, continued investment and a willingness to accept that the learning process is not yet complete.
“Most importantly, the current foot-and-mouth disease crisis offers one of the most important lessons that the agricultural sector must learn, namely that it cannot rely on reactive thinking in the face of recurring biological threats. As soon as an outbreak is visible, the costs are often already rising drastically.”
BKS vaccine. (Photo: Heléne Mocke/Maroela Media)
Makube emphasizes that producers may be forced to store stock longer than expected, reconsider production strategy, accept increased input prices or deal with disruptions in existing markets.
“A more successful strategy begins with the recognition of biosecurity as a permanent component of agricultural risk management. The concept must be integrated into daily operations, long-term planning and investment decisions rather than being viewed as an emergency to be tackled only when a problem arises.”
He says this involves stricter protocols on the farm, improved compliance and inspection, and a significantly more coordinated effort by public institutions, industry bodies, researchers and producers themselves.
He further says that the central question is not only about how the sector manages the next outbreak, but how it builds a system that is better prepared for the next decade.
“This requires a shift from crisis response to long-term resilience, with biosecurity treated as a strategic priority throughout the agricultural economy,” says Makube.