Windhoek
Namibia’s stakeholders in the N$2 billion a year livestock export industry are on the edges of their seats in anticipation of the outcome of the latest round of negotiations regarding the South African authorities’ intent to push through with animal health requirements for Namibian livestock imports.
If implemented, these requirements could bring the local industry to its knees.Meat Board General Manager, Paul Strydom, has confirmed to Farmers Forum that as coordinator of the negotiations, the Meat Board met the deadline of January 8 to answer South Africa on the various issues the neighbouring country is basing its proposed new livestock imports from Namibia. “We have not received any feedback to date, but expect an announcement by the SA authorities soon. For now, we have to once again sit and wait,” Strydom says.
At the end of last year, the Livestock Producers Association (LPO) of Namibia officially requested President Hage Geingob to intervene after the local livestock industry received devastating news that SA intends to push through with the stringent new regulations which would make it virtually impossible for Namibian producers to export livestock. Namibia currently exports some 180 000 weaners, 90 000 sheep and 250 000 goats per year to South Africa and the N$2 billion industry is the livelihood of especially small-scale and communal farmers. Chairperson of the Livestock Producers Organisation (LPO), Mecki Schneider, described the requirements as “trade restrictions requested by the SA Red Meat Producers Organisation (RPO), because they have no system in place to control the flow of animals to and from South Africa”.
It turned out that the revised regulations have not changed from the previous publication, on which the Namibian industry has already commented extensively. These stringent regulations were imposed overnight in May 2013 and devastated the local livestock export industry, resulting in losses of billions of dollars.
The import regulations involve strict animal health testing. A two-month period (ending January 8, 2016) follows wherein the Namibian livestock industry has the opportunity to comment on the regulations. A grace period of four months will follows where after the regulations will be fully implemented in May 2016.
Furthermore, the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU) asked its sister organisation, Agri SA, for support. Various emergency measures have also been put in place and the LPO has instructed a private company to undertake an independent risk analysis on the health status of Namibian livestock. A clearly irate Schneider told Farmers Forum that the South African Red Meat Producers Organisation (RPO), that has relentlessly been pushing for these import regulations for livestock from Namibia, is not playing a fair game. “The RPO can’t be serious. They have not asked for the same stringent requirements for exports of Namibian game to their country. Why just our livestock, who have been declared free of any animal health diseases by the WHO for decades?”
The Meat Board has since 2013 been putting short-, -medium- and long-term strategies in place in case of such a scenario as the one unfolding now. These measures include the transformation of the Namibian weaner industry to an oxen production system.
In 2013, the Namibian government requested the small stock industry (abattoirs and producers) to make a joint proposal of alternatives to the Small Stock Marketing Scheme. Last November a delegation from the Livestock Producers Forum (LPF) and the Meat Board was invited to make presentations to the Cabinet Committee on Trade and Economic Development in this regard. The joint industry proposal is that all limiting measures with regards to small stock marketing should be repealed. The proposal was favourably considered by the above Committee and has been submitted to Cabinet for consideration.
“The LPO, the Meat Board and all our partners have done what they could to convince the South African authorities otherwise. We’ve conducted endless meetings, discussions and have been involved with endless correspondence. We have shown great patience and understanding but this issue is lopsided and unfair,” Schneider argues.