# FMD reshapes South Africa’s red meat sector

> Foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks across South Africa have cost the country its FMD-free-without-vaccination status, disrupted movement and export access, and contributed to higher beef, lamb and mutton prices. Beef exports fell 26.1% year on year in 2024, while China suspended imports following outbreaks; the government has declared a national disaster and is expanding vaccine procurement and local production.

- Date: 2026-11-09 · published 2026-11-10T00:26:36.824Z
- Category: disease · region South Africa · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/90605-fmd-reshapes-south-africa-s-red-meat-sector
- Commodities: [Live Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/LCATTLE.md)

## Why it matters

Disease controls and import suspensions constrain South African meat supply in export markets, while limiting local producers’ market access and disrupting domestic supply chains. Reduced export availability can support prices, although the loss of export outlets may weigh on prices received by affected producers.

## Read by commodity

- LCATTLE: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| LCATTLE | 2018-11-28 | [African swine fever reshaping global beef markets \| Scoop News](https://feedsoft.ai/events/61980-african-swine-fever-reshaping-global-beef-markets-scoop-news.md) | +1.2% | +4.1% |
| LCATTLE | 2019-11-15 | [Consumers must prepare for higher red meat prices](https://feedsoft.ai/events/56003-consumers-must-prepare-for-higher-red-meat-prices.md) | +0.4% | +3.3% |
| LCATTLE | 2019-10-09 | [Consumers face steeper meat prices as African Swine Fever bites \| BusinessDesk](https://feedsoft.ai/events/56713-consumers-face-steeper-meat-prices-as-african-swine-fever-bites-businessdesk.md) | +2.2% | +7.8% |
| LCATTLE | 2025-09-29 | [Supply-side factors at play in the cattle sector](https://feedsoft.ai/events/23002-supply-side-factors-at-play-in-the-cattle-sector.md) | -1.2% | +0.9% |
| LCATTLE | 2022-07-28 | [Five things to know about FMD and LSD \| Meat & Livestock Australia](https://feedsoft.ai/events/40437-five-things-to-know-about-fmd-and-lsd-meat-and-livestock-australia.md) | -0.1% | +3.7% |

## Sources

- marketwatch.com.na: http://www.marketwatch.com.na/local-news/fmd-rewrites-the-rules-for-sa-red-meat-nmh010080-3015-11868

---
Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.