This week, check three things that can quietly undermine herd health: whether every animal and vehicle movement is recorded, whether staff follow the same hygiene rules, and whether your feed and water plan can withstand pressure. These are practical safeguards, not paperwork for its own sake. Disease control depends on knowing what enters and leaves the farm, while stress around feed and water can add to the burden on animals. The Department of Agriculture’s El Niño guidance calls for feed reserves for breeding stock, secure water access, livestock numbers matched to available feed and grazing, regular veterinary inspections, disease surveillance and timely vaccination. For dairy farms, review those essentials against your own supply and herd plan now. (The Citizen, “El Niño 2026-27: How agriculture department plans to protect small-scale farmers”.)
Make movements traceable before the next delivery
Write down the source, destination, date and relevant identification details for animals moving onto or off the farm, and keep the supporting veterinary and movement documents together. Apply the same discipline to visitors, contractors, vehicles and shared equipment: know who came in, where they went and what needs cleaning before it moves onward. MaxMedia’s Herkouers material stresses that biosecurity is about knowing precisely what enters and leaves the farm—people, vehicles, animals and equipment—and that the discipline must extend across the value chain.
This matters beyond the farm gate. Namibia’s confirmed FMD outbreak in the Karasburg State Veterinary District prompted suspension of cloven-hoofed livestock movement and exports, including to South Africa. Farmers considering Namibian livestock purchases should verify current veterinary movement permissions before buying or arranging transport; do not assume an earlier plan remains valid. (Farmer’s Weekly, “Namibia FMD outbreak could drive up SA red meat prices”.) The movement risk also reinforces the value of a farm register that is current enough to support a quick, accurate answer when a veterinarian or authority asks where animals have been.
Turn biosecurity into repeatable staff practice
Pick one route through the farm—such as the visitor entrance, loading area or shared handling point—and walk it with staff. Confirm where visitors report, which equipment is farm-only, what gets cleaned between groups, and who is responsible for each step. Train workers to recognise the protocols and understand how disease transmission occurs; knowledge of how pathogens spread helps target interventions that interrupt transmission.
For purchased or returning animals, use a veterinarian-led introduction plan. The Herkouers Dairy Playbook describes a 30-day quarantine with comprehensive infectious-disease testing before animals contact the main herd. Treat this as a planned management step, not an informal holding period: establish the isolation arrangements and testing with your veterinarian before animals arrive, and maintain separation until the agreed requirements are met. Prevention protects the existing herd while allowing farms to bring in genetics safely.
Follow official vaccination and movement protocols
Keep vaccination records accessible and check with your herd veterinarian what is required for your area, disease risks and animal movements. At Nampo Alfa near Bothaville, organisers required vaccination for every livestock animal exhibited, alongside veterinary checks and vehicle disinfection. That is a useful reminder to plan participation and transport around documented vaccination, veterinary oversight and entry biosecurity—not at the last minute. (Farmer’s Weekly, “Biosecurity measures help drive strong livestock turnout at Nampo Alfa 2026”.)
There is also a significant supply development: the ARC board approved conditional licensing for qualifying private companies to manufacture the ARC’s FMD vaccine at scale. The approval followed a proposal by Agriculture Minister Willie Aucamp; ARC cited limits in its own infrastructure on short-term output. This could expand supply, but it does not mean farmers should source or administer vaccine independently. Follow official veterinary vaccination protocols and keep the cold chain intact; the Herkouers discussion highlights that vaccine must be maintained at the correct temperature from laboratory to farm. (Daily Maverick, “ARC FMD vaccine privatisation, a decision long overdue farmers and experts say”.)
Build resilience into routine husbandry
Review feed quality and availability, water access and the number of animals your resources can support. Nutrition, health, production and cost control are connected; a planned feed strategy should balance nutritional needs with economic realities and monitor whether the investment is delivering. If reserves are tight, discuss options early with your adviser rather than waiting until a shortage forces abrupt changes. Keep regular veterinary visits in the calendar and discuss timely vaccination and surveillance as part of the herd-health plan.
Use the same systematic approach for other recurring risks. For example, the Herkouers material identifies tick control measures for anaplasmosis, including frequent dipping, vaccination and blocking methods, and notes transmission by ticks, blood-sucking flies and needles. Ask your veterinarian to tailor parasite and vector control to local conditions and the farm’s history; avoid relying on a generic schedule without professional advice. Responsible antimicrobial use also begins with accurate diagnosis, appropriate protocols, staff education and records.
Prepare for a coordinated response
Agree now who contacts the herd veterinarian, who restricts movements and who informs staff if a disease concern is raised. Keep a current contact list and a simple way to account for animals and recent movements. Effective control requires communication, recovery planning and collaboration; pooled expertise can help farms meet challenges beyond their individual capacity.
South Africa’s red-meat strategy identifies animal and public health, market access, inclusive growth and competitiveness as its four focus areas. Farmer’s Weekly reports that weak coordination, funding and implementation—including gaps in state veterinary capacity and traceability—remain barriers. Dairy farms cannot solve those system-wide gaps alone, but accurate records, prompt coordination with veterinary authorities and disciplined movement controls support containment and market confidence. (Farmer’s Weekly, “Red meat industry needs to turn strategy into delivery”.)
Key points
- This week, audit animal, visitor, vehicle and equipment movements; make responsibilities and cleaning steps clear to staff.
- Plan animal introductions with your veterinarian, including 30-day quarantine and infectious-disease testing before contact with the herd.
- Check vaccination documentation and current movement permissions before livestock transport or events; follow official veterinary protocols.
- Review feed reserves, water access and stocking against available resources, and schedule veterinary advice on vaccination, surveillance and parasite control.