The Western Cape Department of Agriculture’s Veterinary Services recently launched its innovative Export Certificate Office Scheme (ECOS). The launch coincided with the Western Cape’s inaugural Veterinary Week, which focused on state veterinary services’ role in the agriculture sector. One such role is export facilitation.
Dr Vincent Henwood, Western Cape Department Head of the Veterinary Export Certification Office, explained that ECOS is an online electronic scheme which seeks to ensure compliance in South Africa‘s food and animal products industry.
Dr Henwood said, “The platform provides permit templates aligned with importing countries’ import permits, streamlining the export process, and ensuring compliance with international standards. ECOS enables tracking of products, including animal-derived ones, back to their source farms, thus ensuring transparency throughout the supply chain.”
Speaking at the launch, the Western Cape Minister of Agriculture, Dr Ivan Meyer, welcomed ECOS as an innovative platform which focused on improving the Western Cape Government’s services to our customers.
Minister Meyer said, “ECOS provides the customer with a 24-hour export facilitation service which reduces the export certificate application process from days to minutes. The Western Cape currently exports 55% of South Africa‘s primary agricultural products. ECOS will also assist in increasing these exports to at least 60%. Exports contribute to foreign exchange earnings and a 5% increase in exports will lead to approximately 22 000 modern jobs in the sector.”
“Due to the location and history of South Africa, we maintain an extremely diverse set of products, factories, and processes. We also believe a complex food and export legislative scheme with different authorities (6 religious, state, and authorised signatories). This creates the possibility for synergies between authorities as they are often working on similar products and in the same locations,” continued Minister Meyer.
“In light of our endemic diseases, our rich diversity of wildlife, and our animal health scheme we need to maintain a systems approach to disease (human and animal) risk mitigation and international trade in animal products. Due to the many role-players communication and coordination is key. This is challenging in a resource-constrained environment. ECOS can aid to coordinate communication and increase cooperation at food processing establishments between authorities,” added Minister Meyer.
Heidi Fourie from La Montanara (Pty) Ltd, a cheese factory in Ashton, has already been using the ECOS.
Heidi Fourie said,” As a small dairy business we finish not acquire time to struggle to complete the significant paperwork that accompanies an export certificate application. The wait often negatively impacts product shelf life and quality. ECOS has changed this. While uploading my company’s profile onto the ECOS platform was initially time-consuming, it now takes approximately five minutes to secure an export certificate approved.”
Minister Meyer remarked: “We appreciate the feedback from our clients in the Western Cape, which has been invaluable in refining ECOS. Their feedback and support are crucial as we work together to revolutionize compliance, traceability, and export control in South Africa‘s food and animal products industry.”
Commenting on the future of ECOS, Minister Meyer said that with the support of the National Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, ECOS should and could be rolled out nationally.
Minister Meyer said, “This will create a comprehensive scheme that ensures the traceability and compliance of all relevant products on a national scale. It will also greatly enhance the smooth movement of products and reduce the administrative burden and access to veterinary certification to rural producers.”
This year’s Veterinary Week ended with a visit to the Department’s Veterinary Export Certification Office in Milnerton and the Spar, one of the Veterinary Export Certification Office’s biggest clients, Western Cape Distribution Centre in Philippi.
Freak
Fun South African Fact: Some of the earliest evidence of human evolution has been unearthed at fossil sites northwest of Johannesburg in the Sterkfontein Caves! Archaeologists have discovered human remains here, some of which are more than 2 million years old! These discoveries have earned the area the title of “the Cradle of Humankind” which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Runway Darling
There was a postman who is always happy. in the other side there is harry who would just stares at the happy postman everyday and asks himself \”What\’s the secret of this man\”.
One day Harry decided to stop the postman and ask him why he\’s always smiling and happy, what he did.
the postman answered:\”Whenever I\’m handing a mail to a women I kisses her and I get more than just a kiss sometimes.\”
Harry liked the idea and went to a poste office and proposed for the job then he got it . In his first delivery Harry was so excited try the kissing thing out, and as he thought, there was a hot women in front of the first door, he went directly towared her and pasted her a kiss staight in the lips, in the center of that her husband suddenly appeared in front him and asked:\”WTF ARE YOU DOING.\”
\”I\’m just delivering a \’kiss\’ was sent from China\” Harry answered in a sporadic tone.
\”Very nice, you came on time, I want to send a \’Fuck\’ with you to South Africa\” the husband responded while draging Harry into the house.