South Africa is awaiting documentation from Brazil before it lifts a ban on poultry imports from that country’s Rio do Sul province, according to a report on News24.
The ban was imposed following an outbreak of Newcastle disease in the province. It prohibited imports of unprocessed poultry products from Rio do Sul province.
Although Brazil has since informed the World Organisation of Animal Health (WOAH) that the outbreak is over, South Africa’s agriculture department has said it is still awaiting documentation it has requested from the Brazilian veterinary authorities.
The report quoted Izaak Breitenbach of the SA Poultry Association (SAPA) as saying the effect of the ban on poultry imports would be minimal, and the lifting of the ban was only a matter of time. The impact would be cushioned by chicken imports from surrounding regions and from Argentina and the United States, Breitenbach said.
