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On the first day of the Africa Agri Tech Conference at the CSIR Convention Centre in Pretoria, biosecurity was under the spotlight, with speakers discussing how South Africa can improve biosecurity to boost meat exports.
Phillip Oosthuizen, chief operations officer at Red Meat Industry Services, said the organisation was on track to establish a functional traceability system by the end of the year.
“It is challenging to bring all stakeholders on board, as South Africa has not had a comprehensive traceability system before. We have production data, but this needs to be integrated with a system that tracks movement so we have full traceability from farm to market.”
Dr Gerhard Neethling, general manager of the Red Meat Abattoir Association, stressed that South Africa’s meat export potential is constrained by inadequate traceability.
“We have strong international interest in our meat, but without full traceability, our exports remain restricted,” he said.
A key issue driving the need for greater access to export markets is the limited buying power in South Africa. Oosthuizen noted that 55% of local consumers cannot afford to buy red meat.
“It’s a relatively expensive product, but if we don’t increase consumption in the local industry then we won’t see increases in prices.”
Delegates also heard from Carlos Vitor Müller, Agricultural Attaché for the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock at the Embassy of Brazil, about how this country has achieved foot and mouth disease (FMD) free status, proving that it is possible. He explained that Brazil’s beef export industry, valued at R290 billion, would be lost without strict biosecurity measures.
“The markets that pay the highest premiums are also the first to close in response to disease outbreaks. South Africa must prioritise biosecurity to access these markets,” he said.
Müller outlined Brazil’s approach to gaining FMD-free status, which included expanding veterinary services, comprehensive animal surveillance, and mandatory vaccination.
“Placing all animals under surveillance is crucial because you can’t trace and control a disease if you don’t know where your animals are. Brazil has 295 million animals on 2,5 million farms under surveillance.”
Unlike South Africa, Brazil permits private companies to manufacture vaccines, leading to continuous improvements in vaccine efficacy.
Besides full traceability, a more comprehensive grading system was needed in South Africa to achieve higher prices for better quality meat.
“The current grading system is too limited to provide consumers with the knowledge they need to choose better cuts of meat. Since all A-grade achieves the same price, there is no incentive for farmers to produce better quality,” said Oosthuizen.
