Newly appointed agriculture minister John Steenhuisen’s decision to make the implementation of a livestock traceability system a priority for the department under his leadership is a welcome step that can make farmers’ lives easier and unlock significant investment.
Not only will it help address some of the repercussions of animal health crises such as outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease, but it will also help law enforcement to fight back against rampant stock theft.
In the absence of a trusted, industrywide traceability system, any animal health outbreak poses a risk not only to domestic agriculture supply chains, but also to SA’s exports of products such as beef and wool. Without secure access to export markets, there is little room for these industries to grow.
The industry suffers huge losses due to stock theft every year estimated in the region of R1bn to R3bn. In Mpumalanga and the Free State, and where farms are located close to towns and cities, many farmers have given up on farming with sheep and cattle. It is often farmers who can least afford it, in under-policed, deep rural areas, who suffer most.
Implementing such as a system will not be easy or cheap. A significant share of the livestock industry forms part of the informal sector and is poorly regulated — reaching all these farmers and getting their co-operation will be challenging. Traceability systems are sophisticated and expensive to implement and maintain.
Steenhuisen will need the support of the Treasury and his department to get this plan off the ground.
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