The government is under immense pressure following the high prices of meat, and poultry is likely to follow suit. This is due to the bird flu outbreak in Brazil and the threat of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) to the biosecurity of the country.
Minister of agriculture John Steenhuisen said the department is working around the clock to ensure that jobs are not lost, the economy does not get set back, and food security is not threatened.
“We have lost too much ground because of preventative outbreaks, like foot-and-mouth disease, citrus black spot, and now highly pathogenic influenza (HPAI). These are just not diseases, they are economic setbacks, they threaten jobs, exports, food security and national confidence.
“In response to this, the department has launched an urgent, coordinated vaccination roll-out plan. This is the first time South Africa is deploying vaccines at this scale to combat influenza.
“Our vaccination team, comprised of poultry specialist vets from the University of Pretoria along with the Agricultural Research Council, has received a list of farms to be vaccinated and is prioritising high-risk areas,” he said.
‘There is no meat shortage’
The minister said the poultry industry is an economic anchor for South Africa, “With a gross income of R79.95 billion supporting approximately 134 000 jobs and a projected growth of 5.8% annually.”
Steenhuisen said from this week, 50 appointed animal health technicians will begin training and, from the start hit the ground running.
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Meanwhile, the minister called for calm on FMD and assured producers and consumers that the department has plans in place to ensure that the outbreak does not spread further.
“The department of agriculture is aware that there is a great deal of anxiety around the various outbreaks of the foot-and-mouth disease in a number of provinces. I wish to assure all those concerned that the department is intervening in this particular situation; all infected properties have been placed under quarantine, [and] no movement is being allowed.
“There is also no concern at this stage for citizens on a shortage of meat. Despite some feedlots having been affected, there are a number of feedlots that are not affected around the country. It is safe for consumers to eat red meat in South Africa,” he said.
Knock-on impact on farmers and processors
The South African Meat Processors Association (Sampa) stated that the government needs to implement zoning (regionalisation) with all haste as the ban has placed over 125 000 jobs at risk in the manufacturing sector, on top of the grave threat it poses to South Africa’s food security.
“One of our members, Sky Country Meats, has already been forced to lay off almost 100 employees, with more retrenchments to follow next week if imports of mechanically deboned meat (MDM) are not restored as a matter of absolute urgency. MDM is used in the manufacture of polony, viennas, Russians, braai wors, bangers, frozen burgers, meat pies and corned meat,” the organisation said.
A poultry farmer in Warrenton in the Northern Cape, Nqobile Khumalo, said they hope the government will act with speed to make sure that poultry production does not get negatively affected.
“The influenza will affect a lot of farmers, we will experience a slow production, and also the cost of feeds will be high. This will result in the consumer having to pay more. Already, consumers are pressed with the high living costs, such as food and recent fuel hike,” she said.
Producers are urged to practise biosecurity to curb the spread of FMD.
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