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Welcome to the February 2018 issue of the Red Meat Producers Organisation's Newsletter
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RMIF supports SAMPA

The Red Meat Industry Forum (RMIF) supports SAMPA taking the lead in communication on Listeriosis on behalf of affected processors, until such time as more information is available to the red meat industry.
The RMIF also requests its members to not make any further statements on Listerioses.
  • SAMPA organized itself into a category rebuilding committee and have called on communication experts to assist in this regard. The committee will take the lead in a third party led public relations campaign giving out information to balance the public debate, the level of awareness and knowledge whilst industry engages with government behind closed doors.
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RPO supports proposed application for statutory levy

The National RPO supports the principles as submitted in the proposed application for the statutory levy for the period 2018 and 2020. 
In a letter to the National Agricultural Marketing Council, the RPO expresses its satisfaction that the current levy benefits the whole red meat value chain. 
The function of production development is critical to ensure an empowering environment for all producers (commercial and emergent). This ensures that the RPO can also render support to producers to run their farming enterprises more effectively. The levy as proposed is conservative in comparison to a R77 billion industry on producers’ level.  Apart from this, the levy also contributes 20% towards transformation, which the RPO supports. The RPO is of the opinion that the levy is of utmost importance to ensure sustainable production and marketing.
The three functions of which the RPO is the service provider, namely production development, sheep meat consumer education as well as transformation contribute to a more effective industry. 

RMIF meets

Independent Meat Inspection was one of the issues discussed during the last meeting of the Red Meat Industry Forum (RMIF).
The meeting heard that the evaluations of applicants who wish to deliver the service are done through the Meat Inspection Advisory Forum (MIAF) subcommittees and some assignees were conditionally approved. Reservations were expressed whether implementation by 1 January 2018 was realistically possible as assignees would need to appoint capable personnel to assign which could delay roll out of the function as in the example to enforce the brining regulations in the case of the poultry industry.
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Many insect transmitted diseases reported

Insect transmitted diseases (lumpy skin disease, three day stiff sickness (ephemeral fever), blue tongue) are reported from many areas of the country, according to the monthly report on livestock disease trends as informally reported by veterinarians belonging to the Ruminant Veterinary Association of South Africa (RuVASA), a group of the South African Veterinary Association.
This should not have been the case if animals were vaccinated before the rainy season (August 2017). No case of Rift Valley fever was reported. We are sitting on a time bomb as many animals have never been vaccinated and most flocks and herds are highly susceptible.
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Chefs, important “lambassadors” for South African lamb and mutton

This past month has been a proper “north to south” lamb and mutton festival with two events where Lamb and Mutton SA has been involved in promoting lamb and mutton together with the help of some of South Africa’s greatest chefs. It is of utmost importance that South African chefs share our passion for lamb and mutton, for they are big opinion leader amongst consumers. Therefor it is also important that Lamb and Mutton SA supports platforms where chefs communicate with consumers, and provide chefs with information and knowledge that they can pass on to their fans.
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Perspective 

Regenerative agriculture in livestock-crop farming enterprises.
What is regenerative farming?  It is a term designed to describe changes in farming practices with the goal of regenerating poor or over-utilized soils to their initial state of fertility and health, meaning a soil ecosystem in balance with respect to organic material, flora, fauna and nutrients as it has developed over millennia. It is accepted that farming practices in concert with that should be more sustainable and should increase production because soil fertility and health is expected to increase with time. Regenerative agriculture is therefore approximately synonymous with conservation agriculture (CA) and in the crop farming sphere has, because of the objectives, increasingly promoted no or minimum tillage.
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Auctions for April 2018

National state of disaster declared

The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Dr Zweline Mkhize, has declared the drought a national state of disaster in terms of the Disaster Management Act, 2002.
In the Government Gazette it is declared that the decision has been taken given the special circumstances of the drought. It makes the issuing of directives possible in order to assist and protect the public, to provide relief and to protect property.

Livestock identification and traceability system welcomed

The RPO are of the opinion that the implementation of the livestock identification and traceability system in South Africa (LITS SA) is of utmost importance and urgent, the organisation said in its comments on the draft document.

Traceability and individual animal identification is critical in terms of the consumer as well as to manage animal health and diseases.

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Listeriosis outbreak in South Africa

The Red Meat Industry Forum (RMIF) expressed its concern that lives have been lost as a result of the outbreak of Listeriosis.
Food safety remains at the heart of the red meat industry and the RMIF would like to assure the consumer that everything possible is being done with the utmost urgency to ensure that our consumer’s personal health and well-being is protected not only as a matter of routine, but with increased vigilance.
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Rabies campaign launched

The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries’ veterinary services has launched an awareness campaign for Rabies.
KwaZulu-Natal has experienced an upsurge in animal Rabies over the past two years. This outbreak started in King Cetshwayo district and has spread south through Illembe and into Inanda. Two tragic human fatalities have been confirmed for 2018 regarding a six year and a three year old. In both events, no treatment were sought, although Rabies is 100% preventable through timeous treatment.
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Beef market may be challenged in coming months

Internationally, increasing US beef production looks set to challenge the beef market in coming months, according to ABSA Agri Trends.
Locally, beef prices may strengthen moving forward on the back of expected increases in demand towards Easter.
International
New Zealand steers traded sideways over the week of 23 March at 5.56NZ$/kg and cows traded sideways at 4.43NZ$/kg compared to the previous week. In the US, beef prices were mostly lower as follows: Topside traded 1.85% lower at $222.56/cwt. Rump was 0.68% lower at $343.93/cwt and strip loin was 3.46% higher at $667.75/cwt. Chuck traded 2.42% lower at $213.33/cwt. Brisket traded 2.44% lower at $289.30/cwt. The carcass equivalent price was 0.02% lower at $332.58cwt.
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Sheep meat prices remain strong

Internationally, market conditions do continue to support prices, with tight global supplies still giving some support to prices, according to ABSA Agri Trends.
Locally, prices are currently following a downward trend. It can be expected that prices will start picking up towards Easter in line with increased consumer demand.
International
New Zealand lamb prices traded sideways during the week of 23 March compared to the previous week. Lamb prices closed sideways at NZ$106.1/head for 15kg lamb. Lamb prices were sideways at NZ$148.6/head for 21kg lamb. Ewe prices traded sideways at NZ$101.3/head for a 21kg ewe.
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