SA lifts meat export ban

"The ban which was placed on the export of raw milk and cloven hoof animals or their carcasses two months ago has been lifted," South Africa’s Minister of Agriculture said yesterday. She said live animals are still not allowed to be moved from one area to another.

The previous ban and the new restriction are aimed at stopping the spread of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD).

The highly contagious FMD broke out in South Africa in the beginning of the year. The disease affects cloven hoofed animals and is carried by buffalo.

One way to keep FMD from spreading is limit the movement of cloven hoof animals and products.

The minister, Tina Joemat-Pettersson announced the news ahead of her budget vote speech in Parliament. "The exportation of meat and meat products would be allowed but the ban on the movement of live animals stays, " she explained to the media.

Swaziland’s Minister of Agriculture Clement Dlamini said yesterday the ministry was not aware that the ban on red meat and raw milk from South Africa had been lifted.

The minister said the country was exporting its own meat, but have not been importing such products from South Africa.

"Internally tests on areas like Lubombo close to the infected area in South Africa have been done. No animal tested positive for Foot and Mouth Disease," he said. He said Botswana and not South Africa was chosen to run the tests.

The meat and dairy industry in KwaZulu-Natal, where the disease broke out, suffered great financial losses.

Dr Roland Xolani Dlamini, Director of Veterinary Services and Livestock, said earlier KwaZulu-Natal will not be allowed to export meat and raw milk from cloven hoofed animals for at least two years though.

"The rest of the country will be able to export these products. But the elimination of the disease in KwaZulu-Natal will not be a quick thing. It will take two years after the last case has been reported to make sure it is completely eliminated," Dlamini said.

He said his counterpart in South Africa explained the areas of infection would be cordoned off and allow for business as usual in other provinces in South Africa.

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