Gauteng agriculture department records 74% performance amid FMD outbreak

Gauteng Agriculture and Rural Development MEC Vuyiswa Ramokgopa has tabled the department’s 2025/26 Annual Report, highlighting progress made despite fiscal constraints, institutional changes and the province’s worst-ever Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak.

The department achieved 61 of its 82 annual performance targets, recording an overall achievement rate of 74%. Its Agriculture and Rural Development programme achieved 81%.

GDARD supported 6,700 subsistence producers, exceeding its target of 6,000, while 4,498 women producers received support. The department also supported food production across 4,415 hectares and established 70 school food gardens.

Despite the FMD outbreak, animal and animal product exports reached R4.68 billion, surpassing the R3.25 billion target. Veterinary teams vaccinated 406,908 cattle after 260 outbreaks were confirmed across all municipalities between April 2025 and March 2026.

The provincial government allocated an additional R63 million towards the FMD response.

However, GDARD spent R609 million, or 89.3%, of its adjusted R682 million budget. Underspending was attributed to delayed grant approvals, procurement constraints and implementation delays.

Ramokgopa said the department would focus on ending hunger, commercialising smallholder farming and expanding agricultural exports and industrialisation.