December 10, 2004

Zimbabwe Set to Resume EU Beef Exports in 2006

Zimbabwe is ready to resume beef exports to the European Union (EU) in 2006. This comes after $1 billion was injected into the Department of Veterinary Services for the control of the dreaded foot-and-mouth disease.

EU beef exports were suspended in 2000 after the country's cattle herd succumbed to foot-and-mouth. The government had failed to source enough foreign currency to buy about one million doses of vaccines needed to contain the disease.

Zimbabwe has made progress in containing foot-and-mouth through vaccines from organisations such as the Food and Agriculture Organisation, the EU and the Southern African Development Community.

According to Veterinary services department director Stewart Hargreaves, the $1 billion from the government was a major boost ahead of negotiations with the EU team next year.

"We are already preparing ourselves for the market. This money will be used to rebuild fences, identification of cattle movement and for the control of diseases."