AFTER three-years of a costly ban on South African red meat, the country can now resume its exports of beef to European markets.
This follows a decision on Wednesday by the International Animal Health Organisation (OIE) to declare South Africa foot-and-mouth disease free.
This is good news, but authorities said they would continue to ensure that the required measures were fully implemented in the disease control areas of Mpumalanga, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal.
‘While welcoming the decision, I have directed the department to develop medium and long term interventions to bolster our bio-security controls and ensure we maintain this status,’ said Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson.
She said the ban, which was implemented in February 2011, had cost South Africa and the industry up to R3-billion annually in lost exports.
Agriculture remains crucial to South Africa’s economic growth and the country’s New Growth Path identifies the sector as one of the key job drivers owing to its high job creation potential.
Joemat-Pettersson announced a series of measures to maintain South Africa’s foot-and-mouth disease free status.
The department will, among other things, coordinate the compulsory community service of graduates, who will be closely monitored and the first group will be in the field in 2015.
Twenty-seven fully equipped mobile clinics fitted with operating theatres and will bring veterinary services to rural areas have been supplied to several provinces.
She said the department was also working with provinces to establish a livestock identification and traceability system in foot-and-mouth disease areas.
‘This will allow us to track and trace every animal in contaminated areas with each animal receiving a uniquely coded, tamper-proof tag,’ the minister said.
She said young scientists were being recruited by the Agriculture Research Council to undertake post graduate studies and research, which will build the country’s capacity to deal with foot-and-mouth disease.
The National Treasury has also agreed to fund the construction of a veterinary institute at a cost of R500-million.
Foot-and-mouth disease is an infectious and sometimes fatal viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals.
The disease is very prevalent in the Kruger National Park, because of the permanently infected herds of buffalo.
