Red meat industry participants welcomed the announcement by National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC) that improved biosecurity measures have seen livestock exports increase in 2024.
There have been outbreaks of avian influenza in poultry, African swine fever in pigs, and foot-and-mouth disease in cattle in South Africa for the past two to three years.
Thabile Nkunjana, a senior agricultural economist at NAMC, said, “Diseases in the livestock sector cost the industry money since they limit supply due to livestock losses, and export revenues are negatively impacted by fewer shipments to the global market during outbreaks.”
However, due to better biosecurity measures at farm level and efforts through the Department of Agriculture, the industry is recovering well.
“For example, the number of cattle slaughtered at commercial abattoirs, or the beef supply, increased by 6% annually in 2024, reaching 2.8 million, above the five-year average of 2.6 million,” Nkunjana said.
The largest increase of any province in 2024 was in Gauteng, which saw a 12.0% increase in beef supply. The Eastern Cape (11.9%), Northern Cape (8.0%), KwaZulu-Natal (5.6%), Free State (4.9%), Mpumalanga (4.5%), and Western Cape (4.2%) followed. The cattle supply in the provinces of North-West and Limpopo decreased by 3.6% and 0.9%, respectively, in 2024 compared to 2023.
With 5 million sheep slaughtered, the supply of sheep rose by 11%.
“This exceeded the 4.5 million sheep slaughtered in 2023, which was the five-year average. In 2024, the Eastern Cape accounted for 32.4% of the observed sheep supply in the country, with Mpumalanga (26.7%), North-West (18.2%), Western Cape (16.0%), and Northern Cape (6.5%) following closely behind,” Nkunjana added.
South Africa’s beef exports indicate a decline in 2022 and 2023 due to animal disease.
As of November 2024, South Africa exported a total of 34 486 tons of beef. This was 16.0% greater than the 29 718 tons of beef exported in 2023 and at least 4 000 tons more than the five-year average of 30 059 tons. As of November 2024, there were roughly 14 623 tons of frozen beef and 19 863 tons of fresh beef exported globally.
South Africa exported 654 tons of sheep and goats in 2019, and by 2023, that number had risen to at least 6 199 tons.
Nkunjana added, “Among the top markets were countries like Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates and Lesotho. At least 10 554 tons of sheep and goats were exported from South Africa as of November 2024. This was a 70% yearly rise in sheep and goat exports, at least 4 500 tons greater than the five-year average of 3 145 tons between 2019 and 2023.
Dr Frikkie Mare, the CEO of the Red Meat Producers’ Organisation, said that in 2024, with the FMD outbreak in the Eastern Cape, there was much better collaboration between government and private industry in managing the outbreak. “Although our measures remained the same, I think the collaborative efforts were more effective than with previous outbreaks.”
Mare added that he agrees that South Africa’s livestock imports have grown significantly in 2024. “I think it was due to a collaborative effort by government and private industry to negotiate trade agreements with other countries and then to reach out to these countries, offering our product and getting importers on that side.”
Dewald Olivier, the CEO at Red Meat Industry Services, said 2024 saw record-high slaughter figures and exports, demonstrating the sector’s ability to scale despite pressures. “However, for this optimism to translate into sustained success, several critical factors must be addressed. Firstly, disease management remains a top priority. Foot-and mouth disease continues to pose a risk, and RMIS has launched a comprehensive traceability system to enhance biosecurity and maintain market access.”
Olivier added that strengthened disease control measures will be crucial in ensuring continued growth.
“Secondly, opening new export markets is vital. While exports currently account for only 5% of total production, new opportunities such as the recent opening of the Saudi Arabian market and ongoing discussions with key trade partners like China and Indonesia hold great potential,” he said.
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