SA ban on cattle movement extended
Serious impact on red meat value chain
South Africa's announcement led to Namibia announcing new measures that restrict the export of live cattle into that country until further notice.
Ellanie Smit
Windhoek
A suspension on the movement of cattle in South Africa has been extended in a bid to halt the spread of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).
However, the agriculture ministry in that country hopes to lift the ban in provinces with no cases of the disease this week.
The Red Meat Producers Organisation (RPO) in South Africa said the country will have to convince its trading partners – through a successful turnaround strategy - that the FMD outbreak is under control. It said the announcement that all cattle movement is suspended has a very serious impact on the red meat value chain.
The announcement was made on 16 August, with the option to extend it, and led to Namibia announcing new measures that restrict the export of live cattle from Namibia into that country until further notice.
Real risk
The Meat Board of Namibia said the current FMD outbreak in South Africa carries a real risk for Namibia’s FMD-free area, from which it exports meat and livestock.
“Should this outbreak in South Africa spill over to Namibia, it will have dire consequences on the livestock and meat industry, and on the Namibian economy at large.”
The Meat Board reiterated the responsibility of each and every Namibian citizen to prevent the spill-over by giving full cooperation to the directorate of veterinary services (DVS) and refraining from illegally importing any product or animal as prohibited by the DVS.
Self-regulation
The RPO said the red meat industry will now have to provide proof to their trading partners that they are successful in achieving a turnaround strategy, otherwise their trade will be further harmed in terms of exports.
In the latest report on the outbreak of FMD by the South African agriculture ministry, dated 29 August, it was found that another nine facilities have been infected with FMD. This brings the total new outbreaks to 127.
The RPO said the measures being implemented not only have a very serious impact on the commercial sector, but impact almost more seriously the developing sector as 1.2 million households in that country own livestock and depend on it for income and food security.
It said while the decision by the ministry is to combat the spread of the virus, it has a serious impact on the value chain. “This was not a value-chain decision.”
The RPO stressed self-regulation, adding that it is clear that they will have to follow a totally new strategy to control the disease.
Control measures on the movement of cattle will have to be applied very strictly by the authorities as this is the beginning of the turnaround strategy, it said.
Windhoek
A suspension on the movement of cattle in South Africa has been extended in a bid to halt the spread of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).
However, the agriculture ministry in that country hopes to lift the ban in provinces with no cases of the disease this week.
The Red Meat Producers Organisation (RPO) in South Africa said the country will have to convince its trading partners – through a successful turnaround strategy - that the FMD outbreak is under control. It said the announcement that all cattle movement is suspended has a very serious impact on the red meat value chain.
The announcement was made on 16 August, with the option to extend it, and led to Namibia announcing new measures that restrict the export of live cattle from Namibia into that country until further notice.
Real risk
The Meat Board of Namibia said the current FMD outbreak in South Africa carries a real risk for Namibia’s FMD-free area, from which it exports meat and livestock.
“Should this outbreak in South Africa spill over to Namibia, it will have dire consequences on the livestock and meat industry, and on the Namibian economy at large.”
The Meat Board reiterated the responsibility of each and every Namibian citizen to prevent the spill-over by giving full cooperation to the directorate of veterinary services (DVS) and refraining from illegally importing any product or animal as prohibited by the DVS.
Self-regulation
The RPO said the red meat industry will now have to provide proof to their trading partners that they are successful in achieving a turnaround strategy, otherwise their trade will be further harmed in terms of exports.
In the latest report on the outbreak of FMD by the South African agriculture ministry, dated 29 August, it was found that another nine facilities have been infected with FMD. This brings the total new outbreaks to 127.
The RPO said the measures being implemented not only have a very serious impact on the commercial sector, but impact almost more seriously the developing sector as 1.2 million households in that country own livestock and depend on it for income and food security.
It said while the decision by the ministry is to combat the spread of the virus, it has a serious impact on the value chain. “This was not a value-chain decision.”
The RPO stressed self-regulation, adding that it is clear that they will have to follow a totally new strategy to control the disease.
Control measures on the movement of cattle will have to be applied very strictly by the authorities as this is the beginning of the turnaround strategy, it said.
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