Permit to export Finnish pork products to South Africa

South Africa has approved the import of Finnish heated pork products to its market. Export to South Africa can be started immediately.

Finland and South Africa have agreed on the terms of export and the veterinary certificate to be used in export. Obtaining an export permit for heated pork products is a major achievement in Finland's efforts to obtain export permits for Finnish pork and poultry meat to South Africa.

The export permit for heated pork products enables the export of products such as sausages and cold cuts made from pork. There is a great interest in grilled products in South Africa. Finnish sausages and cold meats suit the South African taste and are well suited e.g. for hotel breakfasts.

The market access process for heated pork products was launched in February 2020 alongside the pork and poultry meat processes, hoping that an export permit for heated products would be easier to obtain than one for fresh meat. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry believes that obtaining the export permit for heated pork products will contribute to the finalization of the market access process for pork started in 2011. It is estimated to take longer to obtain an export permit for poultry meat.

South Africa is an interesting market for Finnish food products. As proof of this, Jenni Kiilholma was appointed as Agricultural Counsellor to the Finnish Embassy in South Africa in Pretoria for the years 2019–2022, where her tasks included the promotion of Finnish food exports in the southern African region. Jenni Kiilholma returned from the Embassy to the Finnish Food Authority at the turn of the year. She hopes that the cooperation between Finland and South Africa in the food and agriculture sectors will continue to deepen and facilitate trade, including in the form of obtaining new export permits for a larger variety of products. The next visit of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to South Africa is already planned for this year.

More information on the export permit procedure concerning heated pork products is available on the website of the Finnish Food Authority.

Inquiries:

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry:
Hentriikka Kontio, Senior Ministerial Adviser, tel. +358295162423, hentriikka.kontio@gov.fi

Finnish Food Authority:
Jenni Kiilholma, Head of Section, tel. +358505708126, jenni.kiilholma@ruokavirasto.fi