All ships docking at the Cape Town harbour and carrying foodstuffs are undergoing rigorous testing before cargo is unloaded, according to Minister of Economic Opportunities, Alan Winde. Winde said the listeriosis outbreak had raised many questions about food safety and the safety of food entering the province from other countries.
“Currently, all ships docking at Cape Town harbour with imported food stuffs undergo rigorous testing before cargo can be offloaded. One of our Khulisa projects has been the establishment of a residue testing facility which will help detect an array of substances in very minute quantities,” he said. “So far, we have taken delivery of equipment and performed the necessary upgrades to the facility. We are currently in the recruitment process and once this is finalised, the facility will be commissioned. This will allow us to meet some of the strict testing measures put in place by many regions, including the European Union (EU), opening up new export markets.”
Winde said the agriculture industry faced enormous challenges, not least of which the massive disruptions due to technology. “And while there will be benefits including increased efficiencies and alternative production techniques, there could also be negative consequences such as loss of jobs to automation and increased competition,” said Winde.
