On the 14^th of January 2019, as the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, I convened a meeting with the Red Meat Association to engage on better responses on the outbreak of the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in Limpopo, Vhembe District. In this meeting we agreed on a collaborative approach between government and Industry in eliminating the spillage. I must commend the contributions so far from the industry in particular at technical committees’ level. The update we are giving today is a cumulative work of the collective past two weeks.

As a result of the FMD outbreak, South Africa lost its OIE recognised FMD free zone without vaccination status.   This has had a devastating effect on trade of cloven hoofed animals and their products from South Africa.   While some countries instituted official bans, trade was further disrupted as a result of the inability to certify for any exports where FMD free zone attestation is required. 

DAFF notified trade partners and provided an update on the FMD outbreak in South Africa.   A request was also made to trade partners to consider continuation of trade in safe products.  Guarantees were provided for products which do not pose a risk of transmitting the disease, such as heat treated meat and dairy products, deboned and matured beef, scoured wool, salted hides and skins, livestock embryos and pork products from known FMD free pig compartments.  

Following the sharing of update reports with trade partners, trade restrictions on the export of processed products have been relaxed by many trade partners.  Trade in safe commodities to direct neighbouring countries have largely been accepted and, where necessary, negotiation of new health certificates is underway.  There has also been good progress with negotiations to re-open markets for deboned matured beef, processed dairy products and processed hides and skins to the other African countries, the Middle East and the Far East ...read more | media update |media briefing |joint statement | media update