July 2008. EU may again ban South Africa ostrich meat.

"THE European Union (EU), the main export market for SA’s ostrich meat, is considering banning ostrich exports as the agriculture department continues to falter on the monitoring of health standards.
However, most of SA’s ostrich meat is exported with the EU its most significant market. Ostrich meat worth more than R1bn, or about 90% of total exports, goes to Europe.
A ban on those exports could damage the industry severely. An agricultural trade specialist, who declined to be named, said SA’s market was not big enough to absorb exports diverted."
http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/topstories.aspx?ID=BD4A802746
"Red meat, poultry, honey, milk and game meat had already been banned from the EU countries. Commission spokesperson Marie Antonie Kerwien told the newspaper there were concerns over quality controls at laboratories testing the safety of the ostrich meat." http://www.fin24.com/articles/default/display_article.aspx?Nav=ns&ArticleID=1518-25_2358263

Questions:
1) Was this poor media interpretation or hype ?
2) Is this just not another way for the EU to keep the European economy afloat by excluding further imports through unrealistic technicalities ? (especially during the economic downturn of 2008).
3) Is South African meat exports standards slipping ?

It will be important for the outcome to be announced with detail and transparency.

bird flu report April 2008

Bird flu kills boy in Indonesia
04/29/08 10:24 PM, EDT
A 3-year-old boy in Indonesia died from bird flu, boosting the death toll in the country hardest hit by the disease to 108, the health ministry announced Wednesday.
Read the full story at http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/04/29/indonesia.birdflu.ap/index.html

New case of Bird flu 23/04/07

KUWAIT:  Kuwait said yesterday it has found a new case of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu in the south of the state near the Saudi border. "We now have 46 infected focal points after the latest finding in an ostrich in Wafra," said health ministry spokesman Ahmed Al-Shatti.

 

http://www.kuwaittimes.net/read_news.php?newsid=ODYzMjM2Mzc1

EU resumes S.Africa ostrich meat imports

"JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - The European Union has resumed imports of ostrich meat from South Africa after the country eradicated a bird flu outbreak in its Western Cape province, officials said on Wednesday." Reuters.com

 

http://za.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-11-02T064349Z_01_BAN224232_RTRIDST_0_OZATP-POULTRY-SAFRICA-OSTRICH-20061102.XML

Zimbabwe ostriches hit by suspected Avian bird flu

BULAWAYO – Two ostriches at a farm in Hwange, Matabeleland North, have reportedly contracted a suspected strain of the dangerous bird flu virus in the country's second such case in recent weeks.

 

GoZimbabwe.com
Zimbabwe ostriches hit by suspected Avian bird flu