RACING South Africa  on Thursday evening released a press statement with the latest news on horse exports.

Peter Gibson, CEO of Racing South Africa, writes:

President Jacob Zuma raised the matter of South African horse exports during the recent State visit to the United Arab Emirates. In his meetings with the President and Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, HH Sh. Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and HH Sh. Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, respectively, President Zuma urged their Government to review the ban on imports of horses and red meat from South Africa.

Racing South Africa’s marketing arm, The SA Equine Trade Council, was invited by the Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) to support the State visit which was intended to grow trade links between the two countries. The SA Equine Trade Council is a non-profit organisation jointly funded by Racing South Africa and the DTI and is specifically tasked with promoting South African bloodstock (of all breeds) to global markets. Equivalent organisations from other parts of the world include French Racing & Breeding, AusHorse and Irish Thoroughbred Marketing.

Council took a small delegation made up of the CEO, Mr Peter Gibson, prominent racehorse owner and breeder, Mr Hassen Adams, leading International trainer, Mr Mike de Kock, and AHS expert and Director of the Equine Research Centre, Prof Alan Guthrie, to attempt to break the horse export deadlock to the UAE. It was hoped that the Presidential platform could greatly assist the process.

Following Council’s briefing of the Minister of Trade & Industry, Mr Rob Davies, his Chief Director, Mr Yunus Hoosen and the South African Ambassador, HE Yacoob Omar, Government agreed to prioritise horse exports to the UAE.

At all subsequent official meetings with the UAE Government and business community, the horse export and red meat industries were singled out as the only sector that required political intervention. Additionally the delegation achieved excellent media coverage on Television and in the printed press – follow these links:

http://gulfnews.com/business/general/south-africa-uae-trade-to-expand-1.929858
http://www.arabbrains.com/2011/11/14/sa-invests-r3bn-in-uae/
http://www.sundaytribune.co.za/zuma-ask-review-of-uae-livestock-ban-1.1177991

The delegation arranged separate meetings to explore collaborative opportunities between the two countries and it is hoped that genuine progress can now be achieved by the start of next winter, when the bulk of the horses destined for the UAE (and other Middle East countries like Qatar and Bahrain) are purchased for export.

As a consequence of the visit, Council was also able to grow Government’s understanding of the entire value chain of the South African equestrian industry, in particular that of the Sport of Horseracing, and how it positively impacted the South African economy. Internationalising the equestrian industry via horse exports and international competition will go a long way towards achieving Government’s objectives of growing the economy and creating much needed jobs, especially in the historically disadvantaged rural communities.

Photo by illustration. (freeracer.co.za)