SA cannot afford any more delays to Brazil poultry imports by vet inspectors at the border

MERLOG Foods is calling on the Border Management Authority (BMA) to implement the use of an online electronic verification system to verify health certificates and prevent further delays to poultry imports.

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These delays, caused by a reliance on paper-based certificates, are undermining food security and contributing to rising protein costs in South Africa.

Veterinary health certificates for poultry exports from Brazil are issued both as hard copies and as secure electronic records accessible through an internationally recognised online portal.

Both the Border Management Authority and the Directorate of Animal Health under the Department of Agriculture already have access to this online system.

Currently, even when poultry shipments are pre-cleared using the online system, the poultry is held at a South African port until the original paper-based certificates arrive, which adds at least 7 to 10 days of delay before the chicken can be released for sale.

Merlog Foods urges the Border Management Authority to rely on the online veterinary portal as used by Brazil instead of waiting for paper certificates to be sent from Brazil.