On Friday, 4 July the National Wool Growers’ Association (NWGA) hosted an interactive panel discussion at the Karoo Winter Wool Festival about South Africa’s current political landscape and the role of traceability in the red meat sector. The session was facilitated by Dan Kriek, NWGA’s general manager.
Discussion on the state of affairs
On the political front, Annelize Crosby, head of legal intelligence at Agbiz, shared information about the Expropriation Act, 2021 (Act 13 of 2024) and accompanying processes that must be followed with regard to expropriation.
Dr Piet Croucamp, NWU associate professor of Political Studies and International Relations, shared his view on the government of the day and some probable scenarios which he thinks could play out in the coming months.
Ostrich traceability
Traceability, currently a hot topic with foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks in various provinces, was next on the agenda. The big question on everyone’s mind in the red meat industry was put on the table: How do we deal with traceability in the livestock sectors of South Africa?
Piet Kleyn, CEO of the South African Ostrich Business Chamber (SAOBC), and Dr Adriaan Olivier, industry veterinarian at SAOBC, shared their experiences and lessons learned, with the hope that it would help the wool and red meat industries to enable their farmers to farm sustainably. Currently, the ostrich industry’s traceability system allows it to export its meat to various countries across the world.
Red meat traceability
The establishment of a traceability system in the South African red meat value chain is critical to establish a sustainable and profitable business where exports are secured. Considering this, Dewald Olivier, CEO of the Red Meat Industry Services (RMIS), discussed options that the farmers and red meat industry should consider to help keep their operations sustainable, as well as some strategies to help curb the current FMD situation.
According to Olivier it is important for the red meat industry to change the way it is doing things to protect its assets. He said the RMIS is providing guidance to help keep farmers on their farms and to keep the feedlots open.
As the CEO of Agri Eastern Cape, Brent McNamara emphasised the importance of traceability as the ‘cornerstone to any trade’ in South Africa and all over the world. “We need transparency and if we do not get our animals traced, complying with what the ostrich industry has done, we will not sell our animals and we will then become a subsistence industry and die,” he said.
Wool traceability
From the wool industry’s perspective, Deon Saayman, CEO of Cape Wools SA, discussed the reasons for transparency and traceability which enables the wool industry to export its product. He also took a closer look at the real driving force behind the term “transparency”, explaining that it is not the consumer pushing for it, but the various brands wanting to mitigate their own risks.
In conclusion to the conversation, Dan Kriek thanked all the speakers for their willingness to share their well-informed views with the audience. “We had valuable and much-needed discussions today, knowing that while there is hope for the future, there is also still a lot of work to be done,” he said. “The NWGA is part of organised agriculture, and it was a huge privilege for us to be able to host today’s conversation at the Karoo Winter Wool Festival.” – Carin Venter, Plaas Media
For more information, contact the NWGA on 041 365 5030 or nwga@nwga.co.za.
