By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
South Africans could soon pay more for oxtail after an administrative error blocked the Argentine imports, which supply the majority of the local market.
The Association of Meat Importers and Exporters South Africa (AMIE) sounded the alarm about the local oxtail supply.
AMIE is calling on the Department of Agriculture (DoA) to urgently review the current sanitary certificate and restore a practical, scientifically justified route for imports before retailers and consumers feel the full impact.
South Africa imports approximately 70% of its oxtail from Argentina. Local producers cannot supply the cut at the volumes required by the market, particularly during winter, when oxtail stew and potjie remain popular household meals. Importers and retailers are already managing stock carefully, while consumers could face higher prices if supply tightens further.
The impasse began with a reference to Ovine Scrapie in sanitary certificates for bovine products.
Ovine scrapie affects sheep and goats, not cattle. Industry stakeholders and Argentine representatives have proposed a straightforward amendment: remove the irrelevant wording from bovine certificates.
The department introduced a highly complex certificate containing extensive Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) biosecurity requirements that are extremely difficult for exporting countries to meet for bone-in beef products, including oxtail.
“This should have been a simple administrative amendment,” says AMIE CEO Paul Matthew. “Ovine scrapie does not apply to cattle, and removing that reference from bovine certificates should not have become a regulatory obstacle of this scale. Argentina has the product, South Africa needs the product, and consumers should not lose access to oxtail because of a certificate issue that can be easily resolved.”
Argentina and South Africa have a long-standing relationship in managing and combating FMD.
Argentina is one of the source countries for FMD vaccines used in South Africa and has worked extensively with South Africa on FMD management and control frameworks.
Matthew argues the current impasse is therefore not the result of poor cooperation or inadequate biosecurity controls, but an unnecessarily burdensome administrative process.
Importers estimate that approximately 1,000 tonnes of oxtail could be lost to South African market during the winter season, representing more than R100 million worth of product. Importers are reportedly already cancelling winter contracts as they manage stock levels and lead times against an unresolved certification deadline.