{"id":2308,"date":"2013-04-30T08:28:09","date_gmt":"2013-04-30T06:28:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thegremlin.co.za\/oudtshoorn-news\/wordpress\/?p=2308"},"modified":"2013-04-30T08:28:09","modified_gmt":"2013-04-30T06:28:09","slug":"eu-ban-on-sa-ostrich-exports-still-stands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/thegremlin.co.za\/oudtshoorn-news\/wordpress\/2013\/04\/30\/eu-ban-on-sa-ostrich-exports-still-stands\/","title":{"rendered":"EU ban on SA Ostrich exports still stands"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"3\"CAPE TOWN – The Western Cape Agriculture Department cannot say when a European Union (EU) ban on ostrich meat exports will be lifted, officials said on Sunday.<\/p>\n

The ban was put in place several years ago following an outbreak of Avian influenza among ostriches in the Karoo.<\/p>\n

The ban hit the industry hard, since the initial outbreak of bird flu two years ago.<\/p>\n

Many farmers have been forced to shut-down their operations as a result.<\/p>\n

Gerrit van Rensburg, who is the Western Cape\u2019s Agriculture MEC, said he was hoping to have the ban lifted by June but also said this is highly unlikely.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re still well on our way although we\u2019re not sure if it will be in June. We\u2019re busy with the registration of the farms in that area and when that\u2019s been completed I believe the national department will apply at the EU to lift the ban.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added that currently farmers conduct a pre-heating process before selling off the meat.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the moment we\u2019re exporting heat-treated meat to Europe and we\u2019re building a new market for ourselves. South Africans can buy fresh meat; it is absolutely safe at the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, a new threat emerged, at the beginning of April, that feather poachers were sneaking onto farms at night and plucking feathers from the birds.<\/p>\n

The value of feathers at the time had increased, which was thought to be the abrupt surge of feather thieves.<\/p>\n

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