Biltong is a local product and should be managed in the same way as Rooibos tea, he said. Biltong contributed more than R2, 5 billion to the SA economy annually, according to the statement. Game biltong sales contributed R237 million, while beef biltong contributed R2,4 billion.
Kudu was on the top of the game biltong list, according to the respondents in a recent Trees survey, followed by springbok, impala, eland, wildebeest, blesbok and ostrich. Gemsbok and warthog were at the bottom of the list.
Borrie Erasmus from Senekal, game farmer and member of the Wildlife Ranching SA board, said biltong hunters were a highly valued component of the SA game ranching industry. He said species such as impala, blesbok and kudu were popular among the biltong hunting fraternity.
"There nevertheless is a trend among biltong hunters to increasingly hunt species such as water buck and lechwe for biltong," said Erasmus
Venison exported to Europe and Asia has the potential to become a significant industry, according to Saayman. Apart from exporting venison biltong, the export of meat should also be pursued in earnest, he said.
