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South Africa’s pork industry is strengthening its response to an unprecedented period of animal health challenges, including African swine fever (ASF) and foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). The South African Pork Producers’ Organisation (SAPPO) used its 2026 AGM and Expo in Pretoria to outline measures focused on risk-based disease control, digital traceability, producer support and animal welfare. Since November 2025, the industry has faced its largest recorded ASF outbreak and its first FMD detection in a commercial piggery, followed by 17 FMD incidents in commercial units.
In response, SAPPO said revised disease-control measures published in July, 2026 are intended to reduce the welfare and commercial impact of FMD outbreaks. About 200,000 FMD vaccine doses were allocated, distributed and recorded through the organisation’s World of Pork (WOP) digital platform. The platform combines producer, slaughter, trade, price, feed, pig movement, audit and vaccination records. Movement logging reached about 60% in late 2025, while SAPPO is promoting Global Location Numbers (GLNs) to improve the identification of farms and speed up disease tracing across livestock supply chains.
Animal welfare and market confidence also featured prominently in the industry’s response. SAPPO’s Pork 360 quality-assurance scheme audited 154 production units in 2025, representing 61% of the commercial sow herd registered on WOP. A new Social Sows programme will track producers’ progress in moving away from gestation crates, with implementation expected in the fourth quarter of 2026. Meanwhile, disease-related disruptions and price uncertainty contributed to increased pork imports from early 2026, prompting efforts to strengthen consumer confidence and demand for locally produced pork. Data presented at the event showed that only 9% of South African households buy whole fresh pork, compared with 67% that buy polony.
Beyond commercial production, SAPPO reported progress in supporting small-scale and developing farmers. Its mentorship programme conducted 619 farm visits and 359 biosecurity assessments in 2025, with assessment pass rates improving by seven percentage points from 2024. The SAPPO Academy also completed 131 online learning modules. Looking ahead, the organisation plans further research into FMD control measures, diagnostic testing, vaccination and the restoration of compartment status, while expanding GLN registration, digital traceability, welfare monitoring and producer support to strengthen the resilience of South Africa’s pork industry.
September 14, 2026/South Africa/
https://www.farmersweekly.co.za/
