This was according to Red Meat Producers Organisation (RPO) national chairman Lardus van Zyl.
Speaking at the 2014 national RPO congress in Bloemfontein, Van Zyl said that it was critically important that the status be retained in the long term.
“The RPO will do everything in its power to assist the authorities in this regard. The international organisation for animal health, the OIE, will later this year conduct another inspection of South Africa’s veterinary services and it’s important that our house is in order and kept in order,” said Van Zyl.
Meanwhile, he said, red meat producers’ input costs have increased by as much as 18% over the past year. However, on the upside, the producer price for beef increased by 17% over the same period, while the producer price for lamb increased by 21%.
