The Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA), which represents Brazil’s major poultry and pork producers supplying critical protein products to South Africa, will host an important high-level seminar today with local meat importers and senior agricultural officials.
The focus will be on ensuring reliable, safe and uninterrupted meat trade between the two countries, a critical part of South Africa’s overall food security.
The seminar, which will be attended by Brazil’s deputy minister of agriculture, will also showcase Brazil’s best practices in animal-health management, including how it successfully eliminated foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).
Other dignitaries will include Benedicto Fonseca Filho, ambassador of Brazil to South Africa; Luis Rua, deputy minister of the ministry of agriculture and livestock (MAPA) in Brazil; and Dr Mooketsa Ramasodi, director general of the South African department of agriculture.
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Finding animal health solutions
“South Africa relies on imported poultry and pork inputs to keep prices stable and ensure affordable protein for millions of households. When diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) or bird flu (HPAI) emerge, government decisions directly influence food availability, price stability, and trade continuity.
“This engagement comes as authorities in the Free State confirm new foot-and-mouth disease cases, leading to widespread cattle culling and rising red-meat prices. These developments underline the urgent need for veterinary systems that can manage disease outbreaks without triggering avoidable market disruptions,” the South African department of agriculture stated.
Brazilian experts will also meet with the South African government and veterinary counterparts to help develop a bilateral regionalisation agreement. Such an agreement would ensure that, in the event of an outbreak in one region, Brazil could continue exporting meat from unaffected zones – thereby protecting South Africa’s food security and containing protein price pressures.
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Regionalisation, recognised globally by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), restricts trade only from affected areas during a disease event, while allowing safe, certified trade from disease-free zones under strict surveillance and transparent reporting.
Ricardo Santin, CEO of the Brazilian Association of Animal Protein, said regionalisation is the system the world relies on to keep food supply stable.
“When it is applied properly, consumers are protected. When it is abandoned, the result is unnecessary shortages, price pressure and harm to families already under strain,” he said.
Eliminating disruptions in food security
Earlier this year, a fully contained highly pathogenic avian influenza or bird flu event in a single Brazilian state triggered a blanket suspension of chicken imports into South Africa, despite immediate zoning, containment and WOAH-aligned notification.
The decision removed more than 100 million meals per week from South Africa’s food system, disrupting school feeding programmes, processors, retailers and the informal sector.
“South Africa’s new nutrition plan makes clear what the G20 has already recognised: predictable, science-aligned trade is essential to safeguarding access to affordable food. The next step is aligning implementation with that vision,” he said.
Santin affirmed that Brazil sees South Africa as a long-term partner in building a resilient, integrated food-security architecture.
“Grounding veterinary decisions in science is the strongest safeguard for food security, price stability and access to essential protein for all communities,” he said.
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