John Steenhuisen, Minister of Agriculture, receives the vaccine. (Photo: Department of Agriculture)
John Steenhuisen, Minister of Agriculture, confirmed on Thursday that the government will bear the full cost of vaccinating the national herd against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).
“Farmers will bear no cost for vaccine” administered as part of the national response to the BMS outbreaks.
“Hundreds of thousands of animals are vaccinated every week, while the country is working towards the target of vaccinating 80% of the national herd by December,” says Steenhuisen in his statement.
Vaccine costs
“Recent rumors spread by a certain agricultural pressure group try to misrepresent the cost of the Dollvet vaccine that is purchased by the government,” says Steenhuisen.
These allegations focus on a cost of R45 per dose, which is the single quoted wholesale supply price per dose, without taking into account the wider logistical and operational requirements of a national vaccination program of this magnitude, argues Steenhuisen.
The publicly distributed price refers to the supplier’s wholesale delivery price to an approved cold storage facility.
John Steenhuizen. (Photo: Maroela Media)
Steenhuisen says this reflects the cost of producing the vaccine and transporting it internationally under cold chain conditions to a designated facility in the country.
The claim that the government “makes a profit” from vaccines is therefore completely wrong, Steenhuisen said.
“The vaccine is purchased and paid for by the state and is provided free of charge to farmers,” he said. “No farmer pays for this vaccine, and the government certainly does not sell it.”
Another claim that is being spread according to the department is that the government does not have the financial means to fund the vaccination programme. According to the department, this is also untrue.
“The department has budgeted specific funds for the purchase of vaccine doses and will continue to ensure that sufficient doses are available to support the vaccination campaign,” says Steenhuisen.
According to the minister, the control of BKS requires joint responsibility over the entire livestock sector.
“It is unfortunate that some individuals choose during a crisis to spread wrong information and sow division,” said Steenhuisen.
I can today confirm that the South African government will cover the full cost of vaccinating the national herd against Foot-and-Mouth disease. This means there will be no cost to farmers for vaccines administered as part of the national response to the FMD outbreaks. pic.twitter.com/2O4eGxiwQq
— John Steenhuisen MP (@jsteenhuisen) March 5, 2026