Sappo advances traceability and welfare as pig disease risks persist

Source: Mark Stebnicki via Pexels

The South African Pork Producers’ Organisation (Sappo) reported on the industry’s response at its Annual General Meeting in Pretoria on 2 September, highlighting regulatory changes, vaccination, producer support and new welfare initiatives.

Since November 2025, SAPPO has facilitated the management of the largest ASF outbreak in the country’s history. During the same period, the first commercial piggery contracted FMD, followed by 17 FMD incidents in commercial units.

FMD response leads to regulatory change

Revised Section 9 control measures, published in July 2026 following sustained engagement between Sappo and government, have reduced the welfare and commercial impact of FMD outbreaks in piggeries.

Approximately 200,000 FMD vaccine doses were allocated, distributed and recorded on Sappo’s World of Pork digital platform.

In KwaZulu-Natal, the organisation worked with Kwanalu and the Red Meat Producers’ Organisation to subsidise a permit office that supported livestock movement within the province’s disease management areas.

“We chose not to let a crisis go to waste. We moved from arguing for proportionate, risk-based control measures, to implementing them, to adapting our systems for a reality in which producers farm with ongoing FMD risk. The industry that comes out of this year is more resilient than the one that went in,” said Dr Marlene Louw, CEO of Sappo.

Traceability and welfare gain ground

Consumer assurance has also advanced through Pork 360, Sappo’s farm-to-fork quality assurance and traceability certification.

Pork 360 audited 154 units in 2025, covering 61% of the commercial sows registered on the World of Pork platform.

Building on the welfare code adopted at its 2025 AGM, Sappo has also introduced Social Sows, a programme that will monitor and track producers’ transition to gestation crate-free production.

Pledges and milestones will be recorded on the World of Pork platform, with the programme becoming operational in the fourth quarter of 2026.

Imports put pressure on local pork demand

Disease outbreaks also disrupted the market, with heightened uncertainty and prices contributing to a rapid rise in pork imports from the start of 2026.

Sappo responded with consumer education and retail marketing initiatives to support demand for locally produced pork.

“Consumer confidence in pork is built through consistent, credible engagement. That is the work we take into 2027,” said Louw.

Biosecurity support for developing producers

Among small-scale and developing producers, SAPPO’s mentorship programme recorded 619 farm visits and 359 biosecurity assessments in 2025, with pass rates improving by seven percentage points compared with 2024.

The Sappo Academy recorded 131 completed online learning modules during the year, alongside business skills training delivered with AgriSETA and a leadership programme completed through Stellenbosch Business School.

Research targets longer-term disease control

Looking ahead, Sappo has commissioned research aimed at refining FMD control measures, including validating diagnostic tests, exploring pathways for reinstating compartment status following vaccination and evaluating the effects of vaccination in pigs.

The organisation has appointed a second veterinarian and designated animal health as a focus area.

During the remainder of 2026, Sappo will also drive the registration of Global Location Numbers (GLNs), unique international identifiers for farms and production sites that provide a foundation for cross-species disease management.

Sappo is sponsoring producers’ initial registration, with registration available at its stand during the Expo.

The AGM formed part of the organisation's AGM and Expo 2026, held on 2 and 3 September under the theme Stewardship in Action, bringing together producers, processors, retailers, financiers and government to discuss animal welfare, biosecurity, environmental care and production efficiency.