29 Jul 2026

Zimbabwe has kept its commercial
dairy herd free from Foot-and-Mouth disease (FMD) despite a wave of
outbreaks across Southern Africa, a senior government veterinary
official said recentky.
Chief director in the Directorate of Veterinary Services, Dr Pious
Makaya, credited the achievement to government's close collaboration
with dairy farmers, public and private sector stakeholders, enforcement
of stricter biosecurity measures and intensified surveillance for
containing the highly contagious livestock disease.
He said that the government, working with the Zimbabwe Association of
Dairy Farmers (ZADF) and private sector partners, had, as a result,
successfully protected the country's dairy industry while continuing to
suppress outbreaks affecting cattle in high-risk wildlife interface
areas.
"Foot-and-mouth disease is under control, though we have sporadic cases
reported in previously affected districts mainly bordering conservancies
and national parks keeping buffaloes," Dr Makaya said. "By enforcing
these measures together with the effective collaboration of the
Directorate of Veterinary Services, the Zimbabwe Association of Dairy
Farmers and other stakeholders, Zimbabwe has remained resilient in
containing FMD along national parks and conservancies, limiting its
spread. As such, no infection has been recorded in any of our small,
medium and large scale commercial dairy farms countrywide."
The achievement comes as at least seven Southern African Development
Community (SADC) member states, including South Africa and Zimbabwe,
continue battling FMD outbreaks that have disrupted livestock production
and regional trade. Zimbabwe has, however, managed to contain the
disease, limiting it to sporadic cases in the beef herds in districts
previously infected.
The government's strategy highlights how Zimbabwe is seeking to protect
one of its most valuable agricultural industries while safeguarding
regional trade, rural livelihoods and food security. Authorities have
intensified vaccinations, tightened livestock movement controls,
strengthened surveillance and increased biosecurity around wildlife
conservancies, where the African buffalo remain the primary reservoir of
the virus.
Dr Makaya said Zimbabwe's dairy sector faced particular risks because
farmers rely heavily on importing dairy cattle and improved genetics
from South Africa, which has experienced widespread FMD outbreaks.
"South Africa is very critical because most of Zimbabwe's dairy farmers
import dairy cows and improved genetics from there," he said. "That is
why movement controls and import restrictions are essential to protect
our national dairy herd."
The Directorate has imposed strict controls, including banning imports
of dairy breeding stock from infected countries, restricting livestock
movements in affected districts, vaccinating cattle in outbreak areas
and conducting nationwide awareness campaigns on disease prevention.
Dr Makaya said most outbreaks remain confined to districts bordering
national parks and wildlife conservancies, where contact between
domestic cattle and infected African buffalo increases transmission
risks.
To reduce that threat, the Directorate is inspecting all the 29 wildlife
conservancies for compliance with the Animal Health Act. "All
conservancies are to be registered with the DVS to ensure the
biosecurity measures according to the Act are observed and enforced," Dr
Makaya said.
He added that the government was at an advanced stage of installing
buffalo-proof fencing around conservancies that fail to meet required
biosecurity standards.
"Following inspection of the 29 conservancies, the Government will
ensure the necessary biosecurity measures, including fencing with the
standard buffalo fence, are implemented," he said.
Zimbabwe has remained on heightened alert since regional outbreaks of
FMD intensified earlier this year. Veterinary authorities have
quarantined infected districts, imposed movement restrictions and
expanded vaccination campaigns after outbreaks were confirmed in areas
including Bulilima, Gwanda, Mangwe, and Umzingwane districts in
Matabeleland South Province. Earlier this year, Botswana temporarily
suspended imports of cloven-hoofed livestock and related products from
Zimbabwe following an outbreak near the shared border, underscoring the
negative economic consequences of the disease.
Across Southern Africa, veterinary authorities of Mozambique and Zambia
continue battling with spread of highly virulent FMD Type O outbreaks.
The disease poses no threat to human health but causes severe production
losses, reduces milk yields, disrupts livestock markets and often
triggers costly trade restrictions.
Dr Makaya said Zimbabwe would continue strengthening surveillance,
enforcing movement controls and working closely with farmers and
regional partners to prevent further spread of the disease while
protecting the country's livestock industry and export prospects.
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