Suppliers cheesed off over dairy regulations

BULK suppliers of South African dairy products in Namibia say they are finding it increasingly difficult to supply local supermarkets because of new regulations introduced four months ago.

Cheeses, milk, yoghurt and ice cream are affected. Suppliers are now required to obtain permits for each consignment they wish to import.Approached for comment, Government’s veterinary division said yesterday that the decision was taken merely to tighten its control on animal product imports and not in response to any immediate health issues.”It reflects badly on a country if there is no control.It [requiring permit approval] is part of an exercise to improve import controls,” the Deputy Director of Veterinary Services, Cleopas Bamhare, said.Bamhare said that previously it was only necessary for imported goods to be accompanied by a health certificate in accordance with a Veterinary Bilateral agreement with South Africa.However, following a foot and mouth outbreak in South African three years ago, Namibia had had to enforce stricter import requirements for all animal products.A buyer from National Cold Storage, which supplies large shopping market chains in Namibia, told The Namibian that the company had waited up to three weeks for permits to import certain cheeses.Bamhare said the situation could not be blamed on the issuing authorities.He claimed that many suppliers attempted to obtain supplies from locations not approved for export by South African authorities or did not plan well in advance.Meanwhile, a ban on the import of chicken meat from South Africa remains in place following the July outbreak of avian flu among ostriches in the Eastern Cape.Bamhare said Namibians were still permitted to buy hatched eggs, table eggs, frozen broiler chickens and day-old chicks from only a handful of South African approved sites.Although local suppliers have resorted to importing whole, frozen chickens from Brazil, many shop shelves remain poorly stocked.Bamhare could not say when the ban would be lifted.He said local veterinary authorities were still seeking clarification from South Africa on its control measures following the outbreak.Suppliers are now required to obtain permits for each consignment they wish to import.Approached for comment, Government’s veterinary division said yesterday that the decision was taken merely to tighten its control on animal product imports and not in response to any immediate health issues.”It reflects badly on a country if there is no control.It [requiring permit approval] is part of an exercise to improve import controls,” the Deputy Director of Veterinary Services, Cleopas Bamhare, said.Bamhare said that previously it was only necessary for imported goods to be accompanied by a health certificate in accordance with a Veterinary Bilateral agreement with South Africa.However, following a foot and mouth outbreak in South African three years ago, Namibia had had to enforce stricter import requirements for all animal products.A buyer from National Cold Storage, which supplies large shopping market chains in Namibia, told The Namibian that the company had waited up to three weeks for permits to import certain cheeses.Bamhare said the situation could not be blamed on the issuing authorities.He claimed that many suppliers attempted to obtain supplies from locations not approved for export by South African authorities or did not plan well in advance.Meanwhile, a ban on the import of chicken meat from South Africa remains in place following the July outbreak of avian flu among ostriches in the Eastern Cape.Bamhare said Namibians were still permitted to buy hatched eggs, table eggs, frozen broiler chickens and day-old chicks from only a handful of South African approved sites.Although local suppliers have resorted to importing whole, frozen chickens from Brazil, many shop shelves remain poorly stocked.Bamhare could not say when the ban would be lifted.He said local veterinary authorities were still seeking clarification from South Africa on its control measures following the outbreak.