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Disease preparedness and biosecurity have emerged as critical priorities for safeguarding South Africa’s pork industry, according to discussions at a recent agricultural forum in Pretoria.
Industry experts stressed the importance of understanding the distinction between African swine fever (ASF) and foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). While ASF affects only pigs and carries a near 100 percent mortality rate with no available vaccine, FMD affects all cloven-hoofed animals and spreads rapidly, although recovery is possible.
Both diseases, once largely confined to specific regions, have increasingly spread through human-mediated transmission, highlighting persistent gaps in biosecurity practices. Experts warned that both existing and emerging animal diseases will continue to threaten livestock production, making adaptive farm management and proactive disease control measures essential. Greater collaboration across the livestock value chain, including farmers, veterinarians, and policymakers, was identified as key to improving resilience.
There was also a strong call for improved risk awareness, surveillance, and preparedness, as future outbreaks could be just as disruptive as recent ones if preventive measures are not strengthened.
Maintaining consumer confidence in pork safety remains vital despite ongoing outbreaks. Experts emphasised that diseases such as FMD do not pose risks to human health and that meat inspection systems provide strong safeguards. However, misinformation could undermine market stability.
Producers were urged to treat biosecurity as a daily discipline, ensuring consistent implementation across all farm operations. Weak compliance and exceptions to established protocols were highlighted as major vulnerabilities.
The industry concluded that discipline, collaboration, and strong biosecurity systems will be central to sustaining a resilient pork sector amid evolving disease risks.
April 18, 2026/South Africa/
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