Astral Foods, South Africa’s largest poultry producer, has said it supports the market inquiry into the poultry industry and will use it to brief competition officials on the industry’s structure, competitiveness and its contribution to jobs and food security.
The inquiry has been instituted by the Competition Commission, which said it would examine the poultry value chain “in respect of the general state of competition, the levels of concentration and structure of a market for particular goods or services, without necessarily referring to the conduct or activities of any particular named firm.”
In a statement reported by Business Report, Astral CEO Gary Arnold said the company supported the inquiry’s objectives and would use the platform to highlight the role of integrated poultry production in strengthening food security and driving sustainable employment.
The inquiry “provides an important opportunity for constructive engagement on the structure and competitiveness of South Africa’s poultry value chain,” Arnold said.
Astral emphasised that the inquiry “is not an investigation into anti-competitive behaviour,” but rather an assessment of how the market functions and whether any structural issues distort competition.
“Astral will, as a listed poultry producer, engage constructively with the inquiry process. Astral will also participate as a member of the industry body, SAPA,” Arnold said.
