ALLAN SECCOMBE, Johannesburg | Saturday
SOUTH African consumers could be hit by meat shortages and price hikes this festive season after the government banned livestock imports from Namibia because of a new outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, officials said.
”It’s a worry for us because that is a big supply source. Abattoirs and feedlots face a worrying Christmas, which is a time when meat consumption is usually high,” said Boet Venter, chief executive of South African Meat Industries Company, an industry umbrella body.
Namibian livestock farmers also have cause for concern.
Foot-and-mouth was detected on Monday at a feedlot of more than 64 000 pigs and cattle valued at some R60m near Middelburg in Mpumalanga. In response, South Africa banned livestock imports from the 14-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC), of which Namibia is a member.
Agriculture Minister Thoko Didiza said the feedlot had purchased livestock from the 14-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC) and a probe was under way to screen records of livestock imported from areas affected by the virus.
South Africa imports 800000 to a million sheep and goats and 150000 weaner calves from Namibia a year to supply abattoirs and feedlots, Venter said.
”I think meat prices will go up. There is normally a seasonal peak in December, but now that there is a constraint on supplies, prices could go up more,” Venter said.
Namibia is the main supplier of livestock to South Africa and the Namibian Agricultural Union has said it exports about 80% of its livestock to South Africa, generating sales of R450m a year.
Venter said the feed industry was unlikely to be affected by the ban because sheep and goats were slaughtered almost as soon as they were delivered and weaner cattle were kept alive for a maximum of 90 days.
Neighbouring countries like Zimbabwe, Zambia and Namibia faced a rare chance to sell South Africa deboned meat, he said.
The virus found near Middelburg was different to the one that caused South Africa’s first foot-and-mouth outbreak in 44 years in KwaZulu-Natal in mid-September, resulting in the culling of thousands of animals.
Vaccinations have started at the Kanhym feedlot where all movement of animals was halted as soon as the disease was detected, said Lourie Bosman, president of the Mpumalanga Agricultural Union. – Reuters