South Africa's Foot-and-Mouth Disease Outbreak Severely Damages Beef Exports

The South African Department of Food and Agriculture recently released a report stating that the ongoing foot-and-mouth disease outbreak has caused significant losses to South Africa’s beef export and dairy industries. The report indicates that by 2025, a total of 24,400 cases of livestock infections have been reported domestically, reaching the highest level in 20 years. In the second half of 2025 alone, nearly 21,600 cases were reported. The report states that the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak has had a severe impact on South Africa’s beef exports and dairy industry. Beef exports from South Africa in the first 11 months of 2025 dropped to 24,800 tons, a decrease of approximately 13,900 tons compared to the same period in 2024. It is expected that beef exports in the same period of 2026 will further decline. Additionally, as of mid-January 2026, the outbreak has affected over 210,000 dairy cows across more than 90 dairy farms in South Africa. (CCTV News)