An outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in Southern Africa has disrupted livestock markets and cross-border trade in recent months. Zimbabwe's Bulawayo Agricultural Show reported empty cattle pens this year because of the outbreak, even as smaller livestock and value-added agripreneurs kept the event running. Zimbabwe has since partially lifted its suspension on imports of live cloven-hoofed animals from South Africa — but only from the Western Cape, and only for animals from farms certified by Zimbabwean state veterinarians as meeting World Organisation for Animal Health standards.
The episode is a reminder for agribusiness operators of how quickly animal disease events can reshape regional trade flows, and of the growing importance of verifiable biosecurity certification for any operator wanting to keep cross-border channels open.
Source: Farmer's Weekly / African Farming, 2026