South African farms and feedlots supplying livestock for red meat exports to the United Arab Emirates have until December 31 to complete mandatory registration requirements.
Agriculture Minister Willie Aucamp has extended the deadline to give producers and provincial state veterinarians more time to complete inspections and registration under Veterinary Procedural Notice 59 (VPN-59), SAnews has reported.
The extension is intended to prevent disruptions to South Africa’s red meat exports while the registration process is completed, according to the Department of Agriculture.
“This extension is critical for our livestock sector and agricultural trade relations with the United Arab Emirates,” Aucamp said.
The additional time would allow trade to continue while farmers and state veterinarians finalised registration and ensured that the industry continued to meet international standards, he added.
The extension does not exempt farms and feedlots from the registration requirements.
During the extension period, exports may proceed only if the supplying farm or feedlot has been inspected by the responsible provincial state veterinarian, compliance with the applicable requirements has been verified and a compliant registration application has been submitted to the department’s Directorate: Animal Health.
Farms and feedlots that have not been registered by December 31 will no longer be eligible to supply livestock for slaughter for red meat exports to the UAE, the department said.
Exports originating from unregistered facilities will not be supported or endorsed after the deadline.
