19 August 2026
Botswana is supplying Lesotho with 100,000 doses of foot-and-mouth disease vaccine and veterinary expertise as Lesotho works to contain its first confirmed FMD outbreak.
- The outbreak threatens a wool and mohair industry that generates about M900 million annually and involves around 2 million sheep.
- Disease controls have already affected export conditions, with Lesotho required to provide trading partners with assurances that its wool and mohair remain free of FMD.
Lesotho is preparing to begin a foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccination campaign after receiving 100,000 vaccine doses from Botswana, as authorities continue efforts to control the country’s first confirmed outbreak of the disease.
The vaccines were pledged by Botswana during the inaugural Lesotho-Botswana Bi-National Commission held in Gaborone on June 18. The Lesotho government announced their receipt on August 17 and said veterinary specialists from Botswana would train local personnel before field vaccination begins.
The campaign follows an outbreak first detected in February in Butha-Buthe district, where cattle showed clinical signs consistent with FMD. Seventeen cattle were sampled and six tested positive for FMD antibodies using a non-structural protein competitive ELISA test.
Authorities subsequently imposed quarantine measures, restricted livestock movements and intensified surveillance as cases were reported beyond the initial area.
The outbreak has also affected one of Lesotho’s most important agricultural export industries. Agriculture Minister Selibe Mochoboroane said in July that the wool and mohair sector generates about M900 million annually and involves roughly 2 million sheep. The United Nations Sustainable Development Group says wool and mohair account for about 60% of the country’s agricultural exports and support more than a quarter of its rural population.
That dependence on external markets became a concern after the FMD outbreak prompted China to temporarily restrict imports of Lesotho wool. Lesotho officials later said the restriction was lifted after negotiations and the introduction of new sanitary requirements.
Under a protocol issued by China’s General Administration of Customs on July 3, untreated wool and mohair originating from FMD-affected areas must undergo an approved process designed to inactivate the virus before export. Processing facilities must be approved by Lesotho authorities and registered with China, and shipments must be accompanied by official health certification.
Lesotho has opted to use one of the approved heat-treatment methods, keeping wool at 37°C for eight days before being exported. Senior Veterinary Officer Pabolo Nonyane said the method was selected as the most practical option available under the protocol.
Source: https://shorturl.at/WFQ5N
By Cynthia Ebot Takang
