Livestock farmers across the SADC region are navigating one of the toughest crises in recent years: Foot‑and‑Mouth Disease (FMD). First detected in South Africa in April 2025, with outbreaks later confirmed in parts of Botswana and neighbouring countries, the disease remains a critical issue in March 2026, disrupting livestock movement, triggering export restrictions, and putting real pressure on producers across the whole region.
Cross-border efforts, including vaccinations and other control measures, are underway to contain the outbreak and curb growing economic losses. But new cases are still surfacing – a clear sign of how complex and persistent this disease is. Staying ahead of it will require sustained, coordinated action and a sharp focus on prevention.
Why is FMD so hard to control? Because it spreads fast – and not always visibly. FMD is a highly contagious disease among cloven-hoofed animals, and the virus is transmitted through both direct contact between livestock and indirectly through contaminated surfaces. Unfortunately, animals can also carry the virus before showing symptoms, making early detection difficult.
This is an incredibly challenging time for livestock farmers across the region, especially those in the areas of Botswana affected by the outbreak,” says Samuel Thorneycroft, Water Africa Director. “With the FMD virus able to survive on surfaces such as vehicles, boots, fences and feeding equipment, daily routines have had to be reshaped, making biosecurity a critical line of defence and one that requires constant effort,” he notes, “and that’s where reliable spraying solutions can play a vital role.”
Routine cleaning and disinfecting are now part of daily farm management for many producers, widely recognised as a frontline defence in outbreak control. This is also where motorised agricultural sprayers prove their value, helping farmers apply disinfectants faster, more efficiently, and with far less effort across large, high-risk areas.
That includes vehicles, whose movement is a well-recognised way that livestock diseases can spread, especially when wheels, undercarriages and footwells are not disinfected consistently. As a result, entry and exit points form an integral part of farm biosecurity routines, with footbaths and wheel dips now a familiar sight at many farm gates. In these areas, disinfectant solutions can be applied using sprayers, which allows for more even coverage and helps ensure high-traffic surfaces are thoroughly treated.
Animal housing and handling areas are another key focus. Pens, barns and feeding spaces are generally cleaned and treated between groups of animals, helping to reduce the chance of the virus lingering in the environment. Sprayers can be used to apply disinfectant evenly across these surfaces, effectively covering larger areas and maintaining consistent biosecurity practices.
Movable equipment – including tools, fencing materials and feed containers – also requires regular disinfecting to help reduce the risk of the virus spreading between different areas of the farm. Larger vehicles and farm machinery, such as tractors or feed wagons, must be carefully cleaned, particularly when moving between paddocks, pens or animal camps. Sprayers can be used to apply disinfectant solutions across all of these surfaces, helping to ensure thorough coverage to support biosecurity efforts.
These measures are also in line with internationally recognised recommendations for FMD control.
The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) – the international authority on livestock diseases – recommends that disinfectants approved for FMD control be applied using sprayers as part of comprehensive biosecurity programmes worldwide. This assists farmers in strengthening their defences against FMD while complementing vaccination and other control measures already in place.
“Any and every measure that can aid stock farmers to protect their herds and livelihoods matters,” says Thorneycroft. “Husqvarna’s range of powerful motorised sprayers, designed for agricultural spraying, is one way that can help make daily biosecurity routines more manageable, providing farmers with practical support in the fight against FMD and other livestock diseases,” he concludes.
If you need assistance or information regarding Husqvarna’s range of sprayers, please visit your nearest dealership or go to www.husqvarna.co.bw.
