Chaos in the port as state vet steps up inspections

An unexplained decision

by the state vet public

health department to

examine every container

of imported meat has

caused turmoil in the meat

industry’s supply chain.

It is also leading to a

scarcity of empty reefer

(refrigerated) containers

and jamming up the supply

line for the country’s fruit

exports.

A shipping line executive

told FTW that this is

creating a backlog in the

cold stores and adding

further costs to the

importers.

When FTW approached

Dr Vashnee Govender

– recently appointed

state veterinarian in

the Veterinary Public

Health Directorate of the

Department of Agriculture,

Forestry and Fisheries

(Daff) – hoping for an

explanation of this sudden

turnaround, her reply was

bald and brief.

Her e-mail read

(verbatim):

1. All containers of

imported meat products

are undergoing inspection

by the Durban meat

inspection unit.

2. Selected

consignments are excluded

from microbiological

testing based on risk

profile, subject to the

discretion of this office.

3. A database is in

the process of collation

to determine the risk

profile of all meat products

imported through Durban.

She directed further

FTW enquiries on policy

matters to the acting

director for veterinary

public health, Dr Mphane

Molefe. FTW has, to date,

received no reply.

David Wolpert, CEO of

the Association of Meat

Importers and Exporters of

SA (Amiesa),

revealed that

members of

his industry

body and

Molefe had

been holding

discussions

on this issue

for more than

two weeks.

However,

at time of

writing,

Molefe had failed to

present an updated plan

in writing to Amiesa on its

intentions to clear up the

huge backlog of delayed

containers.

‘We respect that they are

upgrading their testing

programme but our

importers are suffering

because of the effect of

these delays on the stock

rotation,” said Wolpert.

FTW was told

that, previously, only

mechanically deboned

meat (MDM)

had been

subject to

examination

– and that

only one

sample

was taken

from each

container

load.

But, since

the beginning

of May, the

Durban meat inspection

unit had required five

samples per box. And

this, according to a meat

importer, meant lots of

delays for lab testing

etcetera, and had caused

serious delays in getting

consignments cleared.

INSERT & CAPTION

Our importers are

suffering because of

the effect of these

delays.

– David Wolpert

CAPTION 

An aerial overview of the Durban Container Terminal.