The conversation with the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development on the Red Meat Industry and the foot and mouth diseases (FMD) situation which took place yesterday was very constructive”, says Koos van der Ryst, chairman of the Red Meat Industry Forum (RMIF).
The meeting has been requested by the RMIF. There is consensus that the industry and the authorities have to focus om the competitiveness of
the red meat industry. A ministerial committee will now be constituted and will determine and manage principal aspects as well as the rolling out of a masterplan.
Correct and factual information is imperative and should form the basis of all actions. The ministerial technical committee on which the RPO is
represented, are weekly informed of the latest developments. Currently, FMD has been identified in five premises and tests are now being carried out to determine the possible extent of further infections. “There is a severe drastic difference between infected and affected animals and we must be careful not to spread any disinformation,” says Gerhard Schutte, CEO of the national Red Meat Producers’ Organisation.
It is critically important that the whole industry and the authorities work together to determine the extent of the problem. To this end, it is
imperative to adhere to measures as announced by the authorities. South Africa’s FMD free zone status at the international animal health
organisation, the OIE, will for the foreseeable future not be regained. However, it is important that exports of red meat, red meat products, and
hides and skins continue. In order to convince our bilateral trade partners that control measures are in place, it is critical to adhere to the drastic measures in order to determine the extent of the infection.
“If we lose the China mark now, it will have catastrophic implications for the whole red meat industry in South Africa”, Schutte said.
A Chinese delegation recently indicated that they are satisfied with the drastic measurements which is currently in place and are happy for trade
to continue. Disinformation and rumours can have a serious negative impact on this process.
The ministerial trade task team is continuously involved in the fostering of bilateral ties with trade partners in order to ensure exports.
The minister also support a traceability system and compartments for animals diseases with the feedlots as basis. The finalising of a pilot project
are currently investigated as an initiative of the RPO and the SA Feedlot Association. During the talks with the minister there was consensus on the following aspects;
The movement of livestock must be limited to a minimum.
The SAPS and SANDF will be involved to apply control measures at the
affected areas as well as with the control of key routes from Limpopo to
North West, Gauteng and Mpumalanga.
It is imperative to adhere to the department’s announcement until the
extent of the problem has been determined.
The extent of the outbreak will be determined as a matter of urgency.
The ban on auction will be lifted as soon as circumstances allow it.
Protocols will be put into place to slaughter infected animals
“The fact that auctions are currently not taking place, puts a heavy burden on producers’ cash flow and the RPO appeals to agricultural businesses
and financial institutions to come to the aid of farmers in these times”, Schutte said.
