SA resumes beef exports to Saudi Arabia

The Agriculture Department has announced that Saudi Arabia is set to resume importing South African beef products after the Saudi Food and Drug Administration lifted a 20-year ban on the country’s meat imports last year.

The ban was initially imposed following an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in South Africa.

According to the department, Saudi Arabia will begin receiving shipments of halaal products from South Africa in the coming weeks. This development follows a recent visit by a business delegation to South Africa and the facilitation of discussions on the resumption of meat exports to the Middle Eastern nation by the department.

The department’s Deputy Director-General Dipepeneneng Serage expressed optimism about the progress made in this regard.

Serage highlighted that among the facilities in South Africa, only those with halaal compliance could be certified and audited for export to Saudi Arabia.

Currently, seven out of the fifteen facilities submitted for approval have been certified, with efforts underway to address any deficiencies in the remaining eight facilities.

Serage emphasized the department’s commitment to ensuring compliance and quality standards for meat exports to Saudi Arabia.

He added that corrective measures are being implemented to address any shortcomings identified during the auditing process.

The department aims to have all fifteen facilities approved for the export of goat, cattle, sheep, and other products to Saudi Arabia by the end of the year.