The local meat industry has potentially lost R1.5 billion in lamb exports to Qatar over the past two years, highlighting the urgent need to improve export systems and market access processes.
South Africa's meat industry has warned that the country risks missing out on lucrative export opportunities unless longstanding regulatory and certification bottlenecks are urgently resolved.
The warning comes after Italy recently expressed significant interest in importing South African beef during discussions at the SA Italy Agriculture Business Forum in Cape Town.
While industry stakeholders welcomed the prospect of expanding exports into Europe, they cautioned that new opportunities mean little if existing export channels remain constrained.
Paul Matthew, chief executive of the Association of Meat Importers and Exporters of Southern Africa (AMIE), said South Africa needed to focus not only on securing new markets but also on ensuring that approved and commercially viable export routes function effectively.
