Western Cape to open R9m meat testing plant

Cape Town - A R9m meat testing facility should be in full operation later this year, said Western Cape Minister of Economic Opportunities Alan Winde on Thursday.

"Our plan to establish a R9m residue testing facility at our Helderfontein Veterinary Laboratory is on track and should be operational later this year," he said at the Red Meat Abattoir Association Annual Conference and Congress.

The Provincial Veterinary Laboratory at Helderfontein in Stellenbosch renders an extensive diagnostic service to the livestock, poultry, ostrich and aquaculture industries.

"Once live, this facility will serve as a base for the testing requirements of key destinations to which we can export our products, hopefully improving the value and volume of goods we move overseas," said Winde.

He noted that worldwide there is growing concern around antibiotic resistance.  

"Agriculture, specifically livestock agriculture, has been cited as a problem area for the abuse of antibiotics as an aid to increase meat production. It is estimated that during the 2016/2017 financial year it will cost R14m for routine meat testing."

Like residue testing, animal welfare issues are high on the international agenda. Many importing countries insist that animal welfare officers are permanently stationed at abattoirs and that there is certification of the status of animal welfare in the handling of the livestock at these slaughter facilities.  

"We have identified the need for increased education and awareness in the field of animal welfare to ensure we can maintain the high quality produce we are known for," said Winde.

In another move to boost health and safety standards, he said the proposed Independent Meat Inspection Scheme is also in the final stages of development. This scheme will ensure that a meat inspector is on the floor throughout the slaughtering process.

"At the same time we note the scheme is likely to result in an increased workload on the regulatory role of officials in the Vet Public Health section. We will continue to monitor the situation," he said.

Winde added that the Western Cape is also seeing the positive impact of the compulsory community service (CSS) for newly qualified vets. This was an initiative of the late Dr Tembile Songabe, director of Vet Public Health at the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Daff), who had been working towards this for over five years and could fortunately see it come into operation before his passing in May 2016.

"We have appointed a number of these CCS vets, primarily at export registered abattoirs. The presence of a permanent vet at these abattoirs has opened up a number of further export markets, whose requirements insist on there being a full time vet present," explained Winde.

He said the Western Cape wants to boost South Africa's red meat exports, which increased from R791m in 2013 to R2.14bn last year.