The full economic impact of the deadly listeriosis outbreak earlier this year would become clear next month when government’s quarterly economic overview was expected to be released, said Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Senzeni Zokwana, in a written response to a question posed in Parliament last week.
He said that while the economic impact of the disease had not yet been documented, the cost of eradicating it would (likely) be “substantial”. The outbreak could have a negative impact on domestic and export sales, he added.
“The bigger impact is that all the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries – Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Botswana – who buy processed meat from South Africa have banned South African imports.”
He said that his department was working closely with the Department of Trade and Industry (dti) to contain the damage of the outbreak on trade going forward.
Caption: Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Senzeni Zokwana.
