Dr. Shaun Morris Unpacks Foot-and-Mouth Disease Lessons at TMR 2025
📍Radisson Hotel OR Tambo, Gauteng
📅 8–10 June 2025
Over 300 delegates gathered for the TMR 2025 event hosted by the Milk Producers’ Organisation (MPO), with the focus on strengthening South Africa’s livestock and dairy sectors. A key moment came during the biosecurity-focused workshop on 9 June, where leading agricultural expert Dr. Shaun Morris delivered a standout session titled:
“The Impact of Foot-and-Mouth on Farm Level: What Have We Learned?”
Drawing from his hands-on experience with the national foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) rapid response team in 2024, Dr. Morris offered a frank, insightful analysis of the outbreak’s consequences on South African farms. He also shared lessons that farmers, industry leaders, and government need to adopt going forward.
“Foot-and-mouth disease revealed major gaps in farm-level preparedness and interprovincial coordination. But it also gave us a critical opportunity to rethink and rebuild our response systems with greater accountability and foresight,” Dr. Morris said.
His message echoed the concerns of producers still reeling from past outbreaks and emphasized a proactive, united approach to animal health going forward.
TMR 2025 proved once again why the MPO remains a key platform for fostering innovation and collaboration across the dairy industry. With sessions ranging from feedlot efficiency to disease management, the event positioned itself as a must-attend summit for agricultural excellence.
