Latest news with #DewaldOlivier
IOL News
02-07-2025
- Business
- IOL News
How foot-and-mouth disease is crippling South Africa's feedlots
As South Africa continues to battle Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), feedlots across the country are bearing the brunt of the crisis Image: File As South Africa continues to battle Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), feedlots across the country are bearing the brunt of the crisis, facing severe operational, financial challenges that threaten the stability of the red meat industry. IOL previously reported that South Africa has been battling FMD for several months, prompting key trading partners, including Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, and China, to suspend imports of meat and related animal products from the country. According to Dewald Olivier, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Red Meat Industry Services, with movement restrictions in place in FMD control zones, many feedlots are unable to send cattle to abattoirs for slaughter. He added that affected feedlots must implement costly biosecurity measures and are cut off from formal slaughter markets, leading to backlogs of finished cattle and cash flow pressures. "Affected feedlots have been forced to implement costly biosecurity protocols, including segregation of animals, enhanced sanitation, and constant veterinary oversight. "Affected feedlots are effectively cut off from formal slaughter markets, including domestic abattoirs and export channels. This has resulted in a backlog of finished cattle with no viable outlet and significant cash flow pressure due to delayed sales and increased operational costs," Olivier said. Olivier also noted that the outbreak has caused regional price volatility. 'National retailers have maintained overall meat availability, but regional supply disruptions have caused price volatility, particularly in provinces directly impacted by FMD controls". Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ He warned that unless movement restrictions ease and vaccination efforts improve, red meat prices may remain unstable. "Expect regional price disparities—depressed prices in FMD zones due to oversupply, and firmer prices elsewhere due to restricted supply". Last week, Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen confirmed that mass vaccination efforts against Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) have started in Gauteng. "We have put aside R43 million for the purchase of vaccinations. We haven't spent all of it, but the first batch of 900,000 vaccines has arrived, and we also plan to purchase more vaccines,' he said. However, Olivier said that the government's response to the crisis has been "partially effective" "While there are isolated successes, the response is constrained by structural weaknesses, fragmented decision-making, and a lack of strategic coherence". IOL Business Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel
eNCA
11-06-2025
- Health
- eNCA
Producers mount coordinated response to FMD outbreak
JOHANNESBURG - The red meat industry is on high alert. A Foot-and-Mouth Disease outbreak is spreading, with confirmed cases in KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Gauteng. Now, the Red Meat Industry Services has set up a dedicated operations centre. It will monitor and mount a full-scale, time-bound response to the threat. Just last week, Karan Beef, one of the biggest producers, detected the disease at its Heidelberg facility. Dewald Olivier, CEO of Red Meat Industry Services, said vaccinations have started. "It seems like the spread within the Karan Beef lot has slowed down a little bit, and it also seems like an outbreak in Vosloorus is also slowing down," Olivier said. "It's going fairly well at this stage, we're just waiting for vaccines to arrive from Botswana, and then we can start with full-scale vaccination of the cattle."
IOL News
08-06-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Red Meat Industry Services activates Operational Centre in response to Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak
Red Meat Industry Services (RMIS) said on Friday that it will activate a centralised Operational Centre (OC) at its headquarters on Monday, 9 June 2025, in response to the Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak. Red Meat Industry Services (RMIS) said on Friday that it will activate a centralised Operational Centre (OC) at its headquarters on Monday in response to the Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak. RMIS said the OC will be led by a designated RMIS veterinarian and will oversee a team of veterinary professionals and industry representatives, along with a specialist public relations and public affairs agency, forming the FMD Working Group. 'The FMD Working Group will be mandated to develop and implement a structured, time-bound response to the outbreak, with medium- to long-term goals, including a focus on vaccination among other key areas.' The primary objective of this plan is to guide RMIS in addressing the current FMD situation in South Africa, with a strong focus on protecting red meat role players to ensure the long-term sustainability and growth of the industry. 'This is critical not only for the red meat sector, but also for South Africa's broader agricultural economy, as the outbreak impacts the entire red meat value chain and poses a serious threat to the dairy industry and other sectors connected to red meat production,' it said. Another key aim is to establish public-private partnerships (PPPs) at various levels to support the understaffed public veterinary sector by leveraging private sector expertise and capacity. RMIS added that the immediate responsibilities of the OC are finalising a three-month response framework to address urgent risks and establish a platform for long-term management: The medium-term plan will include two key components: Expanding and supporting the capacity of veterinary services to enhance disease control. Establishing FMD-free livestock compartments supplying all South African red meat abattoirs. RMIS said that the OC's other responsibilities would include: Coordinating with the Joint Operations Centre (JOC) to align with government and industry stakeholders. Evaluating and enhancing the Government Contingency Plan. The Department has shared its contingency plan with the industry, which the FMD Working Group will review and provide feedback. Initiating a local vaccine production strategy, which includes assessing funding requirements, establishing an implementation timeline, and developing a financing model supported by industry funding. Centralising stakeholder communication through the appointed veterinarian, who will report directly to RMIS CEO Dewald Olivier. Implementing an electronic movement permit system: A basic, structured electronic Farmer Declaration system will be developed, communicated, and enforced. Dewald Olivier, the CEO of RMIS, said this is a defining moment for the red meat industry. 'RMIS was established precisely for a time like this - to provide coordinated leadership, technical expertise, and practical solutions in close collaboration with government and industry partners. Our unified efforts today will shape a more secure, sustainable, and competitive future for the industry,' Olivier said. Last week, Business Report reported that the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) livestock farming community called on the government to declare KZN a disaster area due to the outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). In a joint statement, they called on the government to formally declare FMD a disaster as KZN grapples to contain the spread. 'In 2021, affected areas in the province were declared a Disease Management Area (DMA); the latest resurgence in 2023 has spread beyond this area and necessitated the expansion of the DMA; however, the spread continues outside of these areas.' In response, Dipepeneneng Serage, Deputy Director-General: Agricultural Production, Biosecurity and Natural Resources Management at the Department of Agriculture, said while they understand the seriousness of the FMD situation in KZN and in Gauteng, they don't think declaring a state of emergency is the solution. 'We have declared/gazetted the DMA which is in itself a state of emergency for livestock and farmers. We need farmers to work with the government to adhere to biosecurity regulations. Additionally, to the DMA, we will be issuing directives regarding the movement of animals in SA. BUSINESS REPORT Visit:
News24
15-05-2025
- Politics
- News24
Tender don arrested; Cornal Hendricks dies: Today's top 7 stories in 7 minutes
News24 brings you the top stories of the day, summarised into neat little packages. Read through quickly or listen to the articles via our customised text-to-speech feature. 9 LIVES: Tender king Cat Matlala arrested for botched hit on socialite ex-lover Vusimusi Cat Matlala, a businessman with a controversial R360 million police tender, was arrested for allegedly masterminding a hit on his former lover, Tebogo Thobejane. Thobejane survived the botched hit in October 2023, but another woman was paralysed; the hitmen are linked to another murder case involving a Transnet contract whistleblower. Thobejane pleaded with authorities for justice, fearing that Matlala's wealth and influence were obstructing the case, and highlighting the trauma and financial strain she has endured. 'AGOA is dead' – now sell our biltong to the world, say analysts at NAMPO Analyst JP Landman believes the Trump administration's tariff regime has effectively ended AGOA, urging South African producers to seek new markets. Landman suggests focusing on the Middle East and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as potential export destinations. Red Meat Industry Services CEO Dewald Olivier supports exploring ASEAN markets and promoting unique South African products like biltong for export. Baseless and misguided: Cabinet slams US' classification of Afrikaners as 'refugees' The South African Cabinet dismissed claims of persecution and genocide against Afrikaner farmers, stating police statistics don't support racially targeted violent crimes. Cabinet rejected the US administration's narrative that white Afrikaner farmers are being persecuted, deeming accusations of discrimination unfounded. The government criticised the US for granting refugee status to Afrikaners, asserting they don't meet the criteria under international refugee law. Healthcare workers protest over intern doctor's death at KZN hospital Dr Alulutho Mazwi, an intern doctor, died at Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital after allegedly being forced to work while ill. Healthcare workers protested, demanding accountability for Mazwi's death and calling for investigations into the circumstances. The KZN health department and the Portfolio Committee on Health have committed to investigating the incident, while Mazwi's family is devastated. President Cyril Ramaphosa. Ramaphosa heads to White House to mend bridges with US President Donald Trump President Cyril Ramaphosa will visit the US from 19 to 22 May to meet with President Donald Trump and discuss bilateral, regional, and global issues. The visit follows Trump granting 'refugee' status to 49 Afrikaners, a move Ramaphosa disputes, asserting they are not persecuted but rather opposed to transformation in South Africa. Ramaphosa aims to reset the strategic relationship between the US and South Africa, clarifying that claims of white Afrikaner persecution are false and stem from anti-transformation groups. Former Bulls utility back Cornal Hendricks passed away on Wednesday Stewart/Gallo Images Bulls boss reveals 'Dr Death' Wouter Basson cleared Cornal Hendricks annually Cornal Hendricks, whose career was previously halted due to a heart condition, died after collapsing at his home. Bulls CEO Edgar Rathbone revealed Hendricks received annual medical advice from Dr Wouter Basson regarding his heart condition. The Bulls will hold a pre-match tribute to Hendricks during their URC game on Saturday. Anele Mdoda with fiance Buzza Anele Mdoda's lobola sparks debate: Is she married or engaged? Customary law explained Anele Mdoda's lobola finalisation has sparked debate about customary marriage presumptions, with a legal expert emphasising the importance of meeting the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act requirements. According to Xhosa customs, the recent ceremony was a formal acceptance of the groom by the bride's family, but the traditional wedding with the groom's family is still pending. A legal expert says that while social appearances may suggest marriage, legal recognition requires fulfilling the criteria in Section 3(1) of the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act, including consent, age, and customary law adherence.
eNCA
13-05-2025
- Business
- eNCA
Foot and mouth disease outbreak on Mpumalanga farm
BOTHAVILLE - The meat industry's concerned about a growing number of farms with Foot and mouth disease outbreaks. Outbreaks have spread to three provinces after the disease was reported on an Mpumalanga farm. China has suspended its South African beef imports sparking worry about the impact on farmers and their livelihoods. Red Meat Industry Services CEO, Dewald Olivier, says he is perplexed by the China ban, but he does not believe other nations will close or prohibit their products because they have mechanisms in place to ensure quality products.
