Farmers across South Africa have expressed the satisfaction with the EU’s decision to exclude processed leather and feathers from its ban on ostrich product imports.
The recent outbreak of avian influenza in Eastern Cape led to a total ban on ostrich exports, yet the South African government limited its ban to ostrich meat and eggs, excluding processed leather, egg shells and feathers.
As the outbreak occurred in a low production season and has been managed swiftly, with only two farms now affected, one in the Middleton and one in the Eastern Cape areas, the industry will not be hit as fiercely as initially predicted.
The exports freed from ban account for approximately 70% of the $182 million (R1.2 billion) in foreign exchange earned annually by the local industry. South Africa produces about 80% of the world supply of ostrich leather and feathers and about 90% of ostrich meat. Tanned ostrich hides account for about 65% of the total ostrich product export sales, with meat accounting for another 30% and feathers for the rest.
