South Africa has released its first locally produced foot-and-mouth disease vaccine in nearly two decades, as the country moves to boost domestic vaccine production to combat its worst outbreak of the disease in many years.

Speaking at a press briefing on Friday, Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen, alongside the Agricultural Research Council announced the release of an initial batch of 12,900 doses. Production is expected to increase to 20,000 doses per week by March.

The vaccine forms part of South Africa's plan to vaccinate 80 percent of its national herd, which comprises about 12 million cattle, including 7.2 million on commercial farms.

South Africa currently imports most of its foot-and-mouth disease vaccines from countries such as Botswana, Argentina, and Türkiye, due to the limited capacity of its underfunded state-owned manufacturing facilities.

"What today signifies is that once we are able to manufacture at scale and reach full production, this vaccine will secure South Africa's vaccine sovereignty in addressing foot-and-mouth disease," Steenhuisen said.

The government has come under criticism from livestock farmers who say they are incurring heavy losses due to its handling of the outbreak.

Two farmer groups, the Southern African Agri Initiative and Free State Agriculture, have threatened legal action against the government, describing its response as  "fragmented, slow and structurally incapable of matching the scale and pace of the outbreak."

Foot-and-mouth disease is a highly contagious viral illness that primarily affects cattle, causing painful blisters in the mouth and on the hooves. While it is rarely fatal, particularly in adult cattle, it significantly reduces livestock productivity.