June 11, 2013

The ban on Brazilian beef imports will affect South Africa's local companies, which rely on cow pancreas to produce pills and supplements, and possibly lost millions of rand.

The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries instituted the ban in December after the World Animal Health Organisation (OIE) said a cow that had died in Brazil two years earlier had tested positive for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease). But the OIE later called for the ban to be lifted, saying the isolated case did not warrant a mass ban on imports. However, the department has stuck with its decision.

Faizel Kariel, owner of Cape Town-based Faizyme Laboratories, said his company had been crippled by the ban. The firm, which extracts enzymes from cows' pancreases for use in anti-inflammatories and digestion supplements, used to import tonnes of the organ from Brazil. Since the ban the company had recorded a loss in revenue of about ZAR3 million (US$293,000).

"For a company that employs just 25 people, this is catastrophic," he said.

Kariel was frustrated by the refusal to lift the ban while many nations had reopened their doors to Brazil following the all-clear from the OIE.

"I have sent numerous appeals to the department to find out why it is still banned... The bottom line is, if you're rejecting all these consignments on a scientific basis, and rejecting the decisions from the international governing body, which you have followed in the past, I want to know why."

But the department had not answered his questions, and while it "dragged its heels" he was looking at closing down his business. South African farms could not supply enough pancreas to efficiently run his business.

BJK Industries managing director Brendhan Kannemeyer said his firm had already been forced to dump more than ZAR3 million (US$293,000) worth of cow pancreas from Brazil.

"South Africa has burnt a bridge with Brazil and I am not sure my suppliers would reconsider this business again unless the ban is lifted promptly and a proper explanation and apology is made by the department."

Annette Steyn, DA spokeswoman for agriculture, forestry and fisheries, said it was unacceptable for imports to be stopped by the department without a proper explanation. By last night the department had not responded to queries.