1. (a) In the past 8 years, ruminant semen and embryos have been exported to Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Malaysia, Zambia, Namibia, Canada, Venezuela, Angola and Guyana. The information for the past twelve years is not readily available, since information is archived every five years and this information was stored manually. The information will be retrieved from the archives and be shared later.
(b) Please refer to Annexure A for details of semen exported (2014-2021).
2. The following steps were taken:
(3) (a) (i) South Africa has agreed upon import and export protocols as follows:
Imports: bovine semen from Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Namibia, New Zealand, Norway, the Netherlands, the UK and the USA. Import of bovine embryos from Canada, Ireland, Kenya, New Zealand and the USA. Import of ovine and caprine semen and embryos from Australia and New Zealand.
Exports: The majority of protocols South Africa had with countries were annulled when RSA lost its FMD free status in 2019. The DALRRD continues to negotiate for the reinstatement of these protocols offering equivalent measures such as compartments free of FMD and other diseases of concern.
South Africa has agreed upon protocols for the export of bovine embryos to Brazil and Argentina. DALRRD is in the process of negotiating an updated the protocol with Argentina, but exports may in the transition still take place.
(ii) The MERCOSUR (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela) countries amended their protocols for ruminant semen and embryos in 2019, so the previously agreed upon protocols had lapsed.
3(b),(c),(d) DALRRD began renegotiating veterinary health certificates with Brazil and Argentina, according to the amended requirements set by MERCOSUR. However, the amended Scrapie requirements prevent South Africa from achieving the market for ovine and caprine semen and embryos, the surveillance for scrapie and traceability. The amended requirements have also excluded South Africa from achieving the market for bovine semen due to the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) requirements.
As explained above, South Africa is unable to meet the amended requirements and this was communicated to industry in December 2020. It was recommended that the Industry consider an Industry driven and funded Scrapie surveillance project according to the Office International de Epizooties (OIE) general surveillance and specific Scrapie requirements with due reference to the requirements for OIE self-declarations, as well as a split system that will ensure compliance to all other requirements. South Africa cannot meet the requirements for Scrapie and Foot and Mouth Disease.
(e) The Challenges were communicated, and it was recommended that the Industry consider an Industry driven and funded Scrapie surveillance project according to the OIE general surveillance and specific Scrapie requirements, with due reference to the requirements for OIE self-declarations, as well as a split system that will ensure compliance to all other requirements.