Todd recently stepped away from his role as MD of Cape Thoroughbred Sales (CTS) in order to focus solely on export protocols.
The severe quarantine restrictions pertaining to African horse sickness (AHS) which have been placed on South African horses have shackled the thoroughbred industry’s ability to progress to a new level.
Currently the most feasible option for horses to travel to countries like Dubai is via Mauritius and the whole process takes an arduous five months.
The reason this route had to be resorted to was due to European Union legislation whereby any outbreak of AHS in the South African AHS Controlled Area in the Western Cape prompts an automatic two year ban on direct horse exports to the EU.
The frustrating aspect of the EU’s policy of suspending exports for a period of two years is that it is virtually impossible for foreign investors to plan with any degree of confidence.
However, a recent vital scientific breakthrough has enabled researchers to ascertain whether an AHS outbreak originated from natural infection or from a vaccine.
Todd said researchers had thus discovered that all previous AHS outbreaks in the Controlled Area had in fact originated from vaccines.
Therefore, a new regulation has been introduced whereby vaccines administered in the AHS Controlled Area can only be done in the winter months. The culicoides midge which carries the disease is mostly inactive in cold weather and thus restricting vaccinations to the winter months will dramatically reduce the chances of a “vaccine outbreak.” The midge can feed off a horse which has become “viraemic” due to the vaccine (which is a live modified vaccine) and the midge can thus spread the disease.
Therefore, Todd is confident an EU audit done on the state of the AHS disease in South Africa in September or October next year will lead to the lifting of the suspension of direct exports to the EU by the end of next year.
The AHS Controlled Area is of particular importance because the pre-export quarantine station is currently situated within its “AHS Free Zone.”
Todd revealed that Dr. Evan Sergeant of AusVet had done a risk assessment on AHS last year. The assessment looked at the risk of AHS being exported under lockdown vector protected conditions in the AHS Free Zone together with the use of the RT PCR Test, which can ascertain whether the AHS virus exists within hours of the test being done. Todd said the assessment had returned a result of “safe” to export.
He added that the results of this assessment would be part of the strategy taken to the international horseracing community in the export protocol negotiations.
Ultimately, the export protocols are decided upon by government to government negotiations, so a good relationship between the SA thoroughbred industry and government is vital.
Todd said this relationship was currently better than it had ever been. He was full of praise for the Department Of Agriculture’s resolve to work with the thoroughbred industry in solving the export problem.
He said, “The Department Of Agriculture are doing great work, we couldn’t ask for more.”
Todd said the Department of Agriculture’s efforts had also led to a good understanding and united front existing between the central veterinary authorities and the provincial veterinary authorities in their outlook on AHS and equine exports.
Todd said another vital cog in the process was the united front which SA horseracing has formed to tackle the export problem.
This had its incubation in a workshop held in 2015 between the rival sales companies, Bloodstock South Africa and CTS.
An export protocol task team was the outcome of that workshop and good progress has been made since.
By David Thiselton
