Private institutions to be approached to produce FMD vaccine: Aucamp

Agriculture Minister Willie Aucamp has announced that private institutions will be approached to manufacture Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccines for South Africa. Speaking alongside department officials during a briefing to Parliament’s Portfolio Committee, Aucamp revealed that 21 million vaccines have been imported so far from Turkey and Argentina.

However, the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) can only produce 20,000 vaccines, while approximately 2.5 million are needed each month. Recognizing the need to increase production, Aucamp stated that private manufacturers will be called to join in the effort. "The ARC production capacity is not nearly enough for our needs," Aucamp said, adding that the ARC and private institutions have agreed to work together to produce the vaccine.