Question NW3323 to the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
24 November 2023 - NW3323
Masipa, Mr NP to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
Whether Botswana is currently exporting (a) cattle and (b) beef to the Republic despite the recent outbreak of the Foot-and-Mouth Disease in the specified country; if not, what is the position in this regard, if so, what are the relevant details; (2) what are the reasons that the Republic is facing challenges in exporting to the specified country if the country can export its beef and animal products to the Republic in the context of both countries having experienced incidents of the specified disease?
Reply:
(1)(a),(b) Yes. South Africa still imports cattle and beef from zones in Botswana that are recognised by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, founded as OIE). Botswana had 6 zones which are recognised by WOAH as free from FMD without vaccination. These zones are separated by fencing and managed separately with very strict movement control between zones, to maintain their free status; as a result, if there is an outbreak in one zone, it does not affect the other zones.
Botswana reported incursion of buffalo in their disease control zones 3b, 3c and 6a in September 2023 which they suspect broke from Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe. These three zones were immediately placed under quarantine. Some buffalo were destroyed and samples collected while some were moved to the Chobe National Park in Botswana. Some of the samples collected tested positive for a SAT 1. Botswana has suspended movements of cloven hooved animals in their zones 5 and 8, and exports suspended.
(2) South Africa lost its WOAH recognised FMD free zone without vaccination status in 2019, with the first outbreak of FMD. South Africa experienced additional FMD outbreaks between 2020 and 2022 which included additional provinces. South Africa has been unable to regain its free zone status to date. Therefore, the whole of South Africa is considered FMD infected, for the purposes of international trade, until South Africa is able to submit documentary evidence to WOAH that South Africa has achieved compliance with the international standards required for a zone to be recognised as FMD free. South Africa could export beef, which has been deboned and matured to deactivate the FMD virus, to Botswana under the authority of a veterinary import permit. Cattle and bone-in or unmatured beef cannot be exported to Botswana.
