Ostrich exporters await formal statement on EU ban

IT’S BUSINESS as usual for ostrich farmers, despite the possibility of an outright ban on ostrich meat exports to the EU following what seems to be bureaucratic bungling. That’s the word from Anton Kruger, chief executive of the SA Ostrich Business Chamber, who says that press reports last week of a potential ban have resulted in very high level consultations, but for now, at least, it’s business as usual. The issue which could lead to the ban is residue testing, a process that determines if there is a residue of antimicrobials, antibiotics, pesticides and growth stimulants in the ostrich meat. These substances can all harm consumers if they are present in high enough quantities. The possible ban follows two years in which South Africa has failed to submit residue monitoring results, in contravention of the EU’s policy for meat suppliers. Kruger is expecting the EU Commission in charge of the matter to meet this week in Brussels, although press reports put the date as late as the end of next month. He says he is aware of government to government discussions about the issue. The industry itself, comprising 113 farmers and around 20 000 employees in total, can do nothing but wait for the results of the discussions and meetings. There is some confusion about the source of the potential ban, as there is no formal statement about it from the EU. “There is no official documentation about this impending ban. It seems that the press reports are based on the word of one spokesperson. I believe that the people at the Department of Agriculture were as surprised as we were to hear of a possible ban. I’ve looked on the EU website myself to find any documentation about a possible delisting, but I cannot find anything,” he told FTW. Kruger says the industry, which exports 90% of its meat to the EU, has put in place all the necessary procedures and systems to comply with EU regulations.