FMD CRISIS: Meat exports might resume soon

THE country is now in the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) declining phase and can go back to exporting meat in the next six months.

Minister of Agriculture Mandla Tshawuka said two options were being looked into that would not only re-open doors to the European Union (EU) market, but also to Asian countries.

These are free with vaccination certification and the free without vaccination certification. In June 2025, the EU suspended Eswatini’s authorisation to export fresh beef and game meat after the country lost its FMD-free without vaccination status. The UK also restricted imports of fresh bovine meat from June 16, 2025.

“We are in the process of applying to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) so that their experts can come and conduct an assessment,” he said.

The minister said the whole process leading to acquiring the free with vaccination status involved assessment, reporting, certification and then granting of the status.

The other countries that the country intended supplying meat to are South Korea and Taiwan, among others. Minister Tshawuka said the first pathway to exporting meat is through clearance from FMD.

“We are already at declining phase when it comes to FMD and that is why we want to be assessed and certified. This means we have covered enough ground to create the immunity,” he said.

To create immunity a country should cover between 60 and 80% in vaccination. The minister explained that immunity is created through vaccination and also naturally.

He said currently, no new cases of FMD had been recorded, which places the country at an advantage.

“To confirm this, we are conducting tests to verify the level of immunity and we are also covering more animals through vaccination.”

For the option of exporting without vaccination, the country must designate zones that have never recorded FMD and manage them separately.

“Once we have zoned these areas, then we can apply for that particular market. We have since discovered that there are many countries that are using the free without vaccination status,” the minister said.

During the interview, the minister also revealed that the way things are turning out positively, it may even not be necessary for the ministry to roll out the second dose of the vaccine. He said in some areas they have already administered two doses after properly assessing the need to.

“In some areas this will not be necessary. The first dose matters the most and the normal distribution curve is looking good. The second dose is just a booster dose,” he said.

The FMD outbreak was discovered in May 2025 in the Shiselweni region and declared an emergency by the Ministry of Agriculture.

As an emergency response, the ministry rolled out a mass campaign, beginning with Phase 1, which targeted 214 dip tanks where 156 020 livestock were given two doses.

Phase Two, which is underway, is targeting 197 dip tanks in Manzini and 153 in Lubombo. Vaccines were specially made in Botswana by the Botswana Vaccine Institute (BVI).