By Jasper Raats

Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen told a media conference at the National Biosecurity Summit of the Biosecurity Hub of the University of Pretoria on Tuesday that without traceability, red meat producers will find themselves outside the red meat value chain, locally and internationally.

“Farmers who decide not to participate in the traceability systems will struggle to sell their livestock,” he said in response to a question about producers who believe traceability systems will be used to obtain their data. “It’s not about us trying to spy on farmers. It is about food safety in the value chain. International buyers increasingly demand evidence of traceability, and even local abattoirs will soon require this information before accepting livestock.”

Steenhuisen expressed his support for Red Meat Industry Services (RMIS), describing the system as a user-friendly step forward in monitoring livestock movements and managing disease outbreaks more efficiently.

“I understand farmers’ concerns, but the RMIS system is designed to integrate existing systems, not to abuse farmers’ data,” he said. He added that rather than directly operating the system, the government will primarily supervise.

“Traceability is no longer optional, but a necessity in an increasingly competitive and regulated international market. Farmers who do not adapt will be limited to smaller, shrinking local trading platforms, which will adversely affect their businesses’ viability.”

Priority matter

In his presentation at the summit, Steenhuisen advocated biosecurity as a central priority for agricultural development in South Africa. He said it should now be a core component of agricultural growth and sustainability. “Biosecurity is now one of the seven main pillars on which our department’s five-year plan rests,” he said.

Diseases, such as bird flu, foot-and-mouth disease and African swine plague, as well as plant diseases and pests, such as false codling moth and black spot, not only threaten the agricultural sectors but also have broader economic and social consequences. They disrupt food supply chains, negatively affect food prices, harm small-scale farmers and undermine the country’s GDP and international competitiveness, he said.

“We can no longer view these diseases as isolated agricultural problems. They represent wider economic, social and systemic risks that affect us all.”

Therefore, he believes that a whole-of-society approach to biosecurity is needed. He stressed that cooperation between the government, the private sector, academics and civil society is essential to tackle biosecurity problems effectively.

“Trust and cooperation between industry and government are the foundations on which successful biosecurity systems are built,” he said.

Steenhuisen also announced plans to develop a national biosecurity agreement that will clearly outline the roles, responsibilities and cooperation frameworks.

Prevention necessary

The minister stressed the need for proactive, preventive measures, rather than reactive crisis management. He said long-term early warning systems, rapid reactions, and the availability of vaccines to reduce risks in advance were essential.

“Too often, we scramble around in a crisis to find solutions, while prevention would be more cost-effective from the outset.”

For this reason, issues such as infrastructure and vaccine availability, especially the manufacturing capacity of Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP), are now given priority. “We are grateful to neighbours like Botswana, from where we can currently import vaccines against foot-and-mouth disease, but at the same time, we are getting OBP back on its feet. It is vital that we can produce our own vaccines in sufficient quantities, not only for foot-and-mouth disease, but also for other animal diseases.”

Steenhuisen conceded that there is a dire shortage of veterinarians in South Africa. He said his department is already considering expanding training programmes and ways to attract youth to animal health care professions.

He highlighted the benefits of improved biosecurity, including strengthening the country’s export competitiveness, supporting rural contributions to agriculture and creating opportunities for inclusive growth.

“With the right biosecurity measures, South Africa can become a leading global exporter of agricultural products, including beef,” he said. “It’s not a question of whether we should invest in biosecurity, but rather how quickly and efficiently we can do it.”