KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa could soon find itself with a severe shortage of red meat if the problem of stock theft in the province is not urgently addressed.
The KwaZulu-Natal Red Meat Producers' Association has warned that stock smuggled to Lesotho and Swaziland had the potential to cripple the meat farming industry. The association's spokesperson, Herman de Wet, said that the situation had become worse when the military commando units on the SA-Lesotho border were closed down a few years ago.
The association pleaded with the government to form a mobile reaction unit which would be able to operate on short notice in the areas which were most affected by stock theft.
De Wet said out of 22,432 animals stolen in the past two years, only 9,751 had been recovered. Farmers lost animals worth R95,1 million ($14 million).
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July 23, 2007
Stock theft a big problem in SA province
Categories livestock, South Africa
