Industry feels sting of stricter FMD measures
New rules also extended to pork
According to stakeholders in the meat industry, these are not short-term measures and therefore the stricter regulations could be in place permanently.
The impact of the stricter measures announced last week by the agriculture ministry in an attempt to prevent the spread of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) from South Africa into Namibia comes at a price for the agricultural sector and consumers.
According to stakeholders in the meat industry, these are not short-term measures, and therefore the impact could be permanent.
"South Africa does not have the coordinated will to manage the numerous outbreaks of FMD as Namibia does when this dreaded animal disease breaks out in the northern communal areas," Paul Strydom, general manager of the Meat Board of Namibia, said.
"The stricter measures may be in place forever," he added.
According to him, it is especially the stud cattle industry that is affected, as well as animal feed manufacturers, who are no longer allowed to import roughage such as alfalfa from South Africa.
"Consumers will be affected because the restriction has now also been extended to pork. We can only supply about half of our needs through local production," he said.
He warned that these measures could lead to an increase in the price of pork and pork products such as bacon.
More challenges
Ryno van der Merwe, chairman of the Namibian Stud Breeders' Association, said although stud breeders have been banned from importing stud cattle since the start of the FMD outbreak in the neighbouring country, the new measures now also limit the import of embryos and semen.
"This is going to have a very negative impact, especially on the smaller breeds. With the larger breeds like the Brahmins, we have a much larger gene pool. They can still survive for a while, because a breeder can buy bulls from other breeders. However, for the smaller breeds, it is a critical problem," he said.
Van der Merwe said that although breeders can import embryos and semen from countries such as Australia or America, the farming conditions in those countries are different.
"We breed a type of animal that is genetically adapted to the extensive farming conditions here in southern Africa. We are not familiar with the bloodlines in other countries. That is why this restriction from South Africa is such a dilemma for us."
Feeding issues
Feedmaster's general manager, Jaco Laubschagne, said the import ban limits the roughage used in their animal feed manufacturing.
"Fortunately, we are not currently dealing with a catastrophic drought situation like three years ago."
According to him, Feedmaster will have to outsource the production of certain products containing alfalfa meal, which are used particularly in the stud farming industry and for finishing lambs, to its Veekos subsidiary in Upington.
"During the manufacturing, it goes through processes where the temperature is raised to 80 degrees Celsius, and therefore the finished product may be imported," Labuschagne explained.
The animal feed industry has already been put under pressure by the war in Ukraine, as the price of raw material products such as urea and monocalcium phosphate started to rise sharply in March this year.
Labuschagne said that as new suppliers have joined the supply chain, prices have at least started to fall.
"However, it has not normalised yet."
According to stakeholders in the meat industry, these are not short-term measures, and therefore the impact could be permanent.
"South Africa does not have the coordinated will to manage the numerous outbreaks of FMD as Namibia does when this dreaded animal disease breaks out in the northern communal areas," Paul Strydom, general manager of the Meat Board of Namibia, said.
"The stricter measures may be in place forever," he added.
According to him, it is especially the stud cattle industry that is affected, as well as animal feed manufacturers, who are no longer allowed to import roughage such as alfalfa from South Africa.
"Consumers will be affected because the restriction has now also been extended to pork. We can only supply about half of our needs through local production," he said.
He warned that these measures could lead to an increase in the price of pork and pork products such as bacon.
More challenges
Ryno van der Merwe, chairman of the Namibian Stud Breeders' Association, said although stud breeders have been banned from importing stud cattle since the start of the FMD outbreak in the neighbouring country, the new measures now also limit the import of embryos and semen.
"This is going to have a very negative impact, especially on the smaller breeds. With the larger breeds like the Brahmins, we have a much larger gene pool. They can still survive for a while, because a breeder can buy bulls from other breeders. However, for the smaller breeds, it is a critical problem," he said.
Van der Merwe said that although breeders can import embryos and semen from countries such as Australia or America, the farming conditions in those countries are different.
"We breed a type of animal that is genetically adapted to the extensive farming conditions here in southern Africa. We are not familiar with the bloodlines in other countries. That is why this restriction from South Africa is such a dilemma for us."
Feeding issues
Feedmaster's general manager, Jaco Laubschagne, said the import ban limits the roughage used in their animal feed manufacturing.
"Fortunately, we are not currently dealing with a catastrophic drought situation like three years ago."
According to him, Feedmaster will have to outsource the production of certain products containing alfalfa meal, which are used particularly in the stud farming industry and for finishing lambs, to its Veekos subsidiary in Upington.
"During the manufacturing, it goes through processes where the temperature is raised to 80 degrees Celsius, and therefore the finished product may be imported," Labuschagne explained.
The animal feed industry has already been put under pressure by the war in Ukraine, as the price of raw material products such as urea and monocalcium phosphate started to rise sharply in March this year.
Labuschagne said that as new suppliers have joined the supply chain, prices have at least started to fall.
"However, it has not normalised yet."
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