Raw SA wool exports to China to resume

Company spokeswoman Ona Viljoen said the agriculture department had announced that the Chinese government had approved the wording proposed by the department for a new health clearance certificate for unprocessed wool exports to China.

According to the agreement, wool shorn three months after the last reported outbreak of RVF in a municipal area, was eligible for export to China.

The People's Republic of China's general administration of quality supervision, inspection and quarantine (AQSIQ) wanted to start using the new certificates by 15 September.

Wool shorn while a municipality was still affected would not be eligible for export to China.

However, should a provincial state veterinarian issue a veterinary certificate (waiver) stating there had been no cases of RVF reported on the producer's farm for the three months immediately prior to the date of shearing, such a clip would qualify for export.

Viljoen said the certificate had to clearly identify the number of bales, the farm of origin, the applicable date and contact details of the issuing state veterinarian.

Although there was scientific proof that RVF could not be transmitted via wool, AQSIQ insisted that a state veterinarian certify that every raw wool export batch destined for China was from an RVF-free area.

South Africa experienced an outbreak of the disease in February 2010 after an absence of 36 years in the country.

Viljoen said China was the only country that insisted on health clearance certificates for RVF, despite being a signatory of the World Organisation for Animal Health's terrestrial animal health code of 2009.

This stated that hides, skins, wool and fibre did not require RVF-related conditions on certificates.

South African wool exports to China became problematic after local authorities announced in August 2010, at the beginning of the 2010/11 wool selling season, that they were unable to continue issuing health certificates due to the widespread disease.

The decision severely curtailed raw wool exports to China which, prior to the outbreak of the disease, was the largest importer of South African wool.

In the 2009/10 season, raw wool exports to China amounted to R933 million.