There is no indication of when South Africa’s borders will reopen for beef exports following the recent outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD), the Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, John Steenhuisen, has said.
His comments come as the country remains under a temporary ban, affecting exports to EU markets and Botswana.
While the FMD outbreak continues, Gauteng, the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal are still awaiting vaccines to combat the disease.
The latest outbreak has had a significant impact on Karan Beef, the country’s largest beef producer.
The outbreak was first confirmed at Karan Beef’s Heidelberg feedlot on 2 June, leading to an immediate pre-emptive quarantine of the facility. It later spread to its Nigel (Gauteng) and Albert Falls (KwaZulu-Natal) feedlots.
Approximately 160,000 cattle across these three feedlots are currently subject to FMD control measures.
In addition to its serious effect on the beef sector, the FMD outbreak is also impacting the leather industry.
Speaking at one of the country’s largest beef suppliers in Heidelberg on Monday during a vaccination drive, Steenhuisen said: “The skins that come from here feed an entire industry of leather for car seat production in Europe and locally — gear, seats, steering wheels. It’s not just about the food, it’s about the value-added product.”
