Ekuqaleni kwalo nyaka, abathengi bajongene nethuba lokunyuka kwamaxabiso enyama yehagu emva kokuqhambuka kwe-African Swine Fever (ASF) kunye neFoot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), eyaphazamisa ukuhanjiswa kwempahla kwindawo ethile kwaye yabangela ukuba kungeniswe impahla kwamanye amazwe. Nangona kunjalo, ezo zinto zingeniswe kwamanye amazwe ngoku ziye zanegalelo ekuthengisweni kakhulu kwempahla kwimarike.
Ingqonyela ye-Eskort u-Arnold Prinsloo uthi amaxabiso efama yehagu ehlile ukusuka kwi-R40/kg ukuya kwi-R30/kg.
Ixhala lokuba ukuqhambuka kwesifo kuya kunciphisa kakhulu ukuhanjiswa kwempahla kwindawo leyo okukhokelele ekubeni abadidiyeli benyama bafumane inyama yehagu engeniswe kwamanye amazwe ukuze baphephe ukunqongophala.
“Ngenxa yokuba inyama engeniswe kwamanye amazwe ithatha phakathi kweeveki ezisibhozo neshumi ukufika, ukuthunyelwa kwempahla kungene kwimarike kanye njengoko iifama zasekuhlaleni ziphuma kwimiqathango yokulawula izifo kwaye zaqala ukusebenza ngendlela eqhelekileyo,” utshilo uPrinsloo.
“Abathengi baya kukwazi ukuthenga inyama yehagu kunye nebhekoni ngexabiso eliphantsi,” wongeza.
Iifama ezichaphazelekileyo yi-FMD zibekwe phantsi kwemiqathango ubuncinane kwiintsuku ezingamashumi amane anesibini (42) emva kokuba kungekho zimpawu zintsha zifunyenweyo. UPrinsloo uthi nangona la manyathelo ebaluleke kakhulu ekulawuleni esi sifo, akwadala ukusilela kwezilwanyana ezilungele imarike ezingena kwimarike xa imiqathango isusiwe.
Xa zidityaniswe neemfuno zabathengi ezithambileyo emva kokunyuka kwamaxabiso kwangaphambili, isiphumo sibe kukwanda okukhulu kwenyama yehagu, nto leyo ebeka uxinzelelo oluphantsi kumaxabiso.
Amaxabiso aphantsi efama sele efikelela kubathengisi.
“Iimeko zemarike zangoku ziindaba ezilungileyo kubathengi,” utshilo uPrinsloo.
“Sinempahla eyaneleyo, amaxabiso aphantsi kwaye, okubalulekileyo, akukho mngcipheko kukhuseleko lokutya kubathengi.”