One of SA’s largest meat importers says persistent delays at the country’s ports, mostly as a result of outdated paper-based verification procedures, are undermining the recovery of poultry imports from Brazil.
Merlog Foods, a supplier of local and imported proteins including chicken and chilled meats, has called on the Border Management Authority (BMA) to urgently implement the use of secure online veterinary certificate verification systems.
According to the company, veterinary health certificates for poultry exports from Brazil are issued both in hard copy and as secure electronic records, accessible via an internationally recognised online portal.
However, because the BMA continues to rely on the slow, paper-based system, border delays of up to 10 days are now disrupting the supply chain and threatening food affordability — particularly for low-income consumers.
“Both the BMA and the directorate of animal health under the department of agriculture already have access to this online system,” Merlog Foods said.
“Currently, even when poultry shipments are precleared using the online system, the poultry is held at an SA port until the original paper-based certificates arrive, which adds at least seven to 10 days of delay before the chicken can be released for sale.”
SA’s R65bn poultry sector, the country’s second-largest agricultural industry, provides nearly 58,000 jobs along the value chain and is a vital source of affordable protein for millions of households.
Brazil is also SA’s largest exporter of mechanically deboned meat (MDM), a low-cost, protein-rich input used in processed foods such as viennas, polony and sausages — staple products for low-income households and school feeding schemes.
In May, the government suspended all imports of poultry and poultry products from Brazil after the confirmation of a highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) outbreak in chickens in the state of Rio Grande do Sul.
SA resumed imports a month ago and early shipments are expected from the week of August 18.
“After months of disruption to poultry imports, we urge the BMA to align port inspection procedures with modern, technologically based practices,” said Georg Southey, manager at Merlog Foods.
“Formalising the use of electronic verification systems would streamline trade while maintaining food safety and compliance.
“We expect volumes to build up over the next two to three months, which will help stabilise the local protein market and ensure processors have access to key inputs such as MDM,” said Southey, adding that an estimated 100-million meals a week would be lost if proteins are delayed.
Merlog Foods has also called on the department of agriculture to urgently conclude a regional trade agreement with Brazil.
“If another case of bird flu arises in future and no agreement is in place, the entire country could once again be subject to a blanket ban. This would force us to experience unnecessary disruptions again,” said Southey.
BMA spokesperson Mmemme Mogotsi said the veterinary import permit is issued by the department of agriculture with conditions.
“Clause 9 requires that the original documents need to be presented at the port of entry. This is to ensure authenticity and prevention of fraud. This guarantees that all goods meet SA biosecurity and import requirements. It also enables effective risk assessment and legal compliance at the point of inspection,” she said, adding that while the agriculture department provides the systems and conditions, the BMA must ensure regulatory compliance.
“The BMA is making plans ... to modernise border inspection. The authority is already using the eCert system for some of the commodities while onboarding others,” Mogotsi said.
“There is a plan to fully automate inspection systems. With the current system, the risks are mitigated and we are still able to conduct inspections in a safe and effective environment that facilitates timely entry and exit of agricultural products in and out of SA.”
Update: August 6 2025
This story has been updated with the BMA’s comment.
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