Germany and South Africa want to strengthen cooperation on FMD
Federal Minister Alois Rainer and his South African counterpart John Steenhuisen signed a joint declaration of intent in Cape Town. The aim is to intensify the exchange of expertise and to further strengthen measures for the prevention and control of the animal disease.
A particular focus will be placed on supporting agricultural businesses in the area of biosecurity. Furthermore, plans include the further development of monitoring systems – especially for wildlife populations – and the promotion of research and development, for example in the field of diagnostics for FMD-infected animals.
Furthermore, both countries agreed to closer cooperation on trade issues, particularly in veterinary law negotiations in the agricultural sector.
The background to this is the spread of the highly contagious animal disease FMD in several provinces of South Africa since August 2025. In Germany, a single FMD outbreak in January 2025 was successfully contained through comprehensive measures. The World Organisation for Animal Health subsequently reaffirmed Germany's FMD-free status without vaccination.
The products are made from balanced combinations of chicken breast and thigh, chicken sausages or...
According to estimates gathered from participating companies, the contacts and negotiations carri...
The decision followed years of extensive negotiations by the German Federal Ministry of Food...
