FairPlay has had a very active first nine years, and we are looking at an even more active 10th year as we head into 2026.

The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) expired in September 2025. Will the United States’ 72 000-tonne chicken quota disappear with it? Unfortunately, history teaches us that temporary trade concessions have a way of becoming permanent fixtures.

Trade policy may seem an abstract affair, but in South Africa it manifests in children’s bodies.

By 2035, South Africa’s poultry industry could look radically different, depending on whether policymakers choose to create, or continue allowing things to stagnate. The divergence between these futures is not theoretical; it can be measured in jobs created or lost, tonnes of food produced or imported, and children nourished or stunted.

FairPlay’s 2025 annual report reflects on our activities over the past year, and looks forward to what needs to be done as we head into 2026, and beyond.

Chicken importers have been dealt a severe blow by the Supreme Court of Appeal, which rejected their efforts to prevent the renewal of anti-dumping duties on chicken imports from three European countries.

Praise for the G20 outcomes, and a note of caution, came from Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) CEO Busi Mavuso.

The G20 Leaders’ Declaration placed an essential focus on agriculture, recognising its role in strengthening global food security, according to agricultural economist Wandile Sihlobo.

Astral Foods, South Africa’s largest poultry producer, plans to extend its bird flu vaccination programme to another two farms.

South Africa’s sugar industry and the country’s beverage makers are at odds over import tariffs for sugar. Sugar producers want higher tariffs, while the beverage industry wants them lowered.

An economic action plan to sustain South Africa’s poultry industry has been proposed by FairPlay founder Francois Baird.

Government’s latest medium-term budget has been welcomed by the agricultural sector for its strong emphasis on infrastructure rehabilitation, logistics reform, and municipal recovery; crucial elements to the long-term growth of South African farming and food production.

Astral Foods, South Africa’s largest integrated poultry producer, has posted strong financial results for its 2025 financial year, overcoming a tough first half marked by lower selling prices and rising input costs.

The rescue of Daybreak Farms, the Public Investment Corporation (PIC)-owned poultry producer, has entered a critical new phase with four bidders shortlisted as potential strategic equity partners.

Chris Schutte, former CEO of Astral Foods, has been given this year’s Lifetime Achiever award by South Africa’s Sunday Times […]

A new bird flu strain is heading towards South Africa, adding to the risks facing the local poultry industry.

The rapid pre-winter spread of bird flu across Europe has resulted in South Africa banning poultry imports from all European countries. This is the first time this has happened, and follows multiple outbreaks of the disease as the cold winter months approach.

A huge surge in subsidised sugar imports is threatening local producers and local jobs, according to the SA Canegrowers association.

South Africa’s critical need for economic growth and job creation in order to reduce food insecurity has been highlighted by FairPlay.

The South African government hopes to finalise a trade deal with the United States in the near future, President Cyril Ramaphosa said during a state visit to Switzerland.

While half of South Africa’s food exports go to other African countries, the real growth potential lies in Asia, according to agricultural economist Wandile Sihlobo.

Africa’s agricultural sector holds huge potential for improving lives and economies, but it remains underfunded and underdeveloped.

South Africa’s poultry sector is a strategic national industry and should be recognised and treated as such by the government.

The South African government is confident that America’s AGOA trade agreement with African countries will be renewed once the US government shut down ends.

The improved performance of South Africa’s poultry industry was on show this month as two of the largest producers gave an insight into upcoming results announcements.

Bird flu vaccination works, now governments must act. This was the message from the world’s poultry veterinary associations, meeting earlier this month in Malaysia.

President Cyril Ramaphosa urged South Africa’s large supermarket groups to lower food prices, which he said were the cause of rising food price inflation.

The South African poultry industry has not applied for any new anti-dumping duties on chicken imports, and does not intend to do so in the near future.

South Africa can look forward to above-average rainfall into early 2026. This should herald another bumper grain harvest and lower feed prices for livestock producers.

While South Africa tries to lower the 30% tariffs charged on its agricultural exports to the United States, the country’s farmers are working hard to develop alternative markets.

South Africa’s poultry imports recovered markedly in August this year, but still showed the impact of the nine-week bird flu ban on chicken imports from Brazil.

South Africa’s food security is at its lowest level in more than 10 years, according to an index produced by a major supermarket group.

No South African poultry producer has been accused of anti-competitive behaviour, clarified the SA Poultry Association (SAPA), in response to media reports about the Competition Commission’s market inquiry into the industry.

South Africa’s poultry industry could make a positive contribution to the trade talks with the United States if it was invited to join the discussion, according to Marthinus Stander, CEO of Rainbow, a major poultry producer.

AGOA is still breathing, but only just. There are new signs that the African Growth and Opportunity Act, which has given African countries preferential access to the United States market, may be revived after it expired at the end of last month.

The huge success of France’s vaccination campaign against avian influenza (bird flu) has been highlighted by the country’s National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (Inrae).

SA’s poultry industry (the country’s largest agricultural employer and its primary source of affordable protein) is being undermined and threatened. Not by foreign competitors but by the policies that claim to support it.

Panellists on the FairPlay webinar on trade negotiations agreed that, when the poultry industry’s future was at stake, the poultry industry should be at the table.

The benefits of large-scale poultry production were spelled out this week by the SA Poultry Association (SAPA).

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.

One of South Africa’s top stock market analysts, Anthony Clark, has slammed the Competition Commission’s market inquiry into the poultry sector as “a joke” and “a travesty”.

The South African government has friendly words for the country’s poultry industry, but its actions make chicken farming more difficult.

The dangers facing the South African poultry industry because of a duty-free quota of chicken imports from the United States have been spelled out by FairPlay founder Francois Baird.

Did AGOA die quietly this week, or is there a chance that America’s trade deal with Africa countries might be revived in altered form?

Egypt is Africa’s major poultry producer, with South Africa close behind in second place, according to statistics published by Mauritius-based African Exponent.

Pascal Lamy, France’s former head of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), believes the world trade will adjust without upheaval or catastrophe to the new tariffs being imposed by the United States.

Two weeks ago, FairPlay challenged chicken importers to show that they had not made a killing from high selling prices during the temporary ban in imports from Brazil.

The South African poultry industry has called on the government to deliver on its promises in order to revive the “stalled” implementation of the poultry master plan.

South Africa’s trade minister, Parks Tau, said after discussions with United States officials that he was “cautiously optimistic” the two countries would reach agreement on a trade deal.

While South Africa’s poultry industry feels let down, other industries are getting government support as they battle new United States tariffs.

The European poultry industry is fighting against concessions made to South America in a looming trade pact between the two regions.

South Africa is food secure as a nation and produces food for export, but horrific statistics of hunger and malnutrition illustrate the often dire situation in the country’s poorest households.

Poultry imports to South Africa plummeted for a second successive month in July due to the nine-week bird flu ban on Brazil. Local producers increased production in response, keeping supply and retail prices stable.

Are chicken importers still making a killing from selling frozen packs of mechanically deboned meat (MDM) at very high prices? […]

South Africans are expected to eat more meat per person as incomes improve over the coming decade, with chicken leading the way because of affordability and the fact that it is seen as a healthy dietary option.

A South African negotiating team is in the United States, hoping to negotiate a trade deal that lowers US import […]

United States trade negotiators are demanding the lifting of general tariffs on imports of American chicken into South Africa. The problem for South African negotiators is that the duties apply to multiple countries, not only the US.

Discussions about general duties come as South African poultry producers are already facing the likelihood of a 72 000-tonne annual quota of American chicken imports free of the anti-dumping duties that should apply.

While South African cars, fruits and wines are being walloped with high tariffs in the United States, the same products are wrongly subject to millions in tariffs in the United Kingdom, despite a duty-free agreement.

South Africa is not the only country seeking alternative export markets because of the sudden imposition of high tariffs in […]

Chinese exporters are going to find barriers going up in Mexico, as well as in the United States, as the US pressures its southern neighbour to block the passage of Chinese goods flowing to America through Mexico.

The poultry industry is a vital part of the South African economy, and it deserves more support and protection from the government, according to Rainbow CEO Marthinus Stander.

America’s legal system could grant South Africa’s poultry industry a reprieve from the threatened annual quota of dumped US chicken that South Africa has offered to United States trade negotiators.

Rainbow, South Africa’s second largest chicken producer, has delivered a strong set of results while noting the serious challenges faced by the country’s poultry industry.

In its results statement, Rainbow expanded on some of the challenges facing the South African poultry industry.

South Africa’s agriculture minister, John Steenhuisen, has emphasised the importance of the food cold chain to get more food to Africa’s rising population.

South Africa’s nine-week bird flu ban on poultry imports from Brazil halved those import levels in June. Early statistics for July indicate another dramatic drop in monthly import volumes.

South Africa’s chickens are high on the country’s stock theft list, agricultural economist Wandile Sihlobo has pointed out.

American poultry producers and South African chicken importers are fighting to retain an annual quota that allows huge volumes of US chicken to enter the South African market at dumped prices.

The statement by the US poultry bosses revealed that their primary target is not the 72 000 tonne quota, which they seem to regard as a victory already won, but the other tariffs that apply to imports of US chicken into South Africa.

Major poultry producers such as the European Union and the United States have been able to dump unwanted chicken portions in South Africa because producers make their money on other chicken cuts.

South African manufacturers have started finding new export markets as the Trump administration’s tariffs threaten to price them out of the United States.

A flood of cheap chicken imports from the United States could harm the broader South African economy.

Agriculture can boost South Africa’s stuttering economy, but only if government creates an environment that’s more conducive to private sector investment.

South Africa is continuing its efforts to get a trade deal with the United States that lowers the 30% tariffs on exports to America that came into effect this month.

South African agricultural exports to the United States rose sharply in the first half of the year as farmers rushed products to America before the tariff gates came clanging down.

South Africa’s poultry imports plummeted in June as a bird flu ban blocked shipments from Brazil, its main supplier. This is the first month when the nine-week ban on Brazilian poultry imports has shown up in official statistics.

The South African poultry industry will be vulnerable to avian influenza (bird flu) for the next year, because so far only one chicken flock had been vaccinated against the disease.

Poultry famers in the Western Cape are on high alert following renewed outbreaks of avian influenza (bird flu) in seabirds near the Cape coast. The disease has been carried worldwide by migratory wild birds.

Agriculture can boost South Africa’s stuttering economy, but only if government creates an environment that’s more conducive to private sector investment.

As it had feared, the South African poultry industry is being sacrificed as South Africa tries to avert the 30% tariffs that have been threatened on all its exports to the United States.

A legal challenge to President Donald Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs is winding its way up to the US Supreme Court, which […]

The South African government had failed to see the warnings that US tariffs were coming, and is now paying the […]

South Africa’s position as a gateway for American companies into Africa is at risk because of President Donald Trump’s new […]

Agricultural economist Wandile Sihlobo has repeated his advice that the South African government and exporters must not devote all their […]

FairPlay has taken issue with the benevolent description put out by chicken importers of the South African government’s “concession” to the United States on bird flu declarations.

Rainbow, South Africa’s second largest poultry producer, has confirmed the poultry industry’s recovery from a disastrous 2023 with the announcement that it expects profits for the year to June to be more than 200% better than the previous year.

As Washington imposes steep tariffs, industry voices warn of a blow to economic growth. The poultry sector, responsible for two-thirds of SA’s meat supply, has been left out of talks and now faces a perilous future.

Behind closed doors, trade talks could cost South Africa’s poultry industry dearly. SAPA has issued a call for government to scrap the US chicken import quota and consult the sector before making further commitments.

As Washington threatens 30% tariffs, SA’s trade strategy looks set to repeat the mistakes made in 2015 – a quick fix for the US, and long-term pain for local poultry and local jobs.

Brazil’s ambassador to South Africa has come out swinging against criticism of his country’s poultry industry, insisting that Brazilian chicken is safe, ethical, and essential to South African dinner tables. But behind the confident tone, questions remain about smuggling scandals, forced labour, and the real cost of dumped imports.

Turkeys may soon be first in line for a jab, as a UK taskforce backs an on-farm bird flu vaccine trial.

Is the South African poultry industry once again going to be sacrificed in a trade deal with the United States? The omens are not good, and poultry producers are beginning to fear the worst.

The South African poultry industry wants to be part of the South African team negotiating a new trade deal with the United States.

South Africa’s first bird flu vaccinations are a test at one chicken farm to help poultry producers and the government learn how the process works in practice.

The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) has come out in full support of vaccination to curb and prevent bird flu outbreaks.

South Africa is hoping for an extension to the 1 August date for 30% United States tariffs so that the countries can finalise a trade deal.

The use of Brazilian chicken shipments to smuggle drugs to South Africa is a continuing problem.

Tariff disputes, bird flu outbreaks, geopolitical tensions and the resultant economic uncertainty are softening the formerly robust outlook for the global poultry trade in 2025, according to the agricultural research group RaboResearch.

Poultry World noted concerns that American milk and meat exports could spread the bird flu strain found in US cows to European Union countries.

United States tariffs on South Africa could cost the country up to 100 000 jobs, according to the governor of the SA Reserve Bank, Lesetja Kganyago.

South Africa’s private sector must become more involved in agricultural export promotion and the production of animal vaccine production.

As South Africa lifts its bird flu ban on Brazilian poultry, FairPlay has warned that the country must be on high alert due to Brazil’s troubling history of food safety lapses, labour abuses, and criminal activity linked to chicken exports.

Agriculture minister John Steenhuisen said his department’s mission is to build a food system that is inclusive, competitive and sustainable, and that leaves no South African behind.

South Africa’s 2025 chicken imports are trending lower than last year, and the two-month ban on Brazilian poultry products may ensure that imports for 2025 as a whole end up below the 2024 total.

South Africa’s chicken importers also make money from export consignments. For good reason, their organisation is called the Association of Meat Importers and Exporters (AMIE).

The Trump administration’s cuts in funding for the World Food Programme should be “a wake-up call” to African governments to improve food security, according to agricultural economist Wandile Sihlobo.

While South Africa’s largest poultry producer, Astral Foods, has complied with government requirements for bird flu vaccinations, those requirements are still too strict and the poultry industry is trying to negotiate a less onerous set of rules.

Mass vaccination against bird flu would not happen unless agriculture minister John Steenhuisen intervenes, FairPlay said in a statement.

The permit allowing South Africa’s first bird flu vaccinations has been welcomed by farming associations and the poultry industry.

South Africa has been given three weeks in which to conclude a new trade deal more favourable to the United States, or face 30% tariffs on all imports into the US from next month.

South Africa’s first bird flu vaccination programme is getting underway, following the announcement that Astral Foods, the country’s largest poultry producer, will be the first to vaccinate its chickens.

The start of the vaccination programme comes as the first bird flu outbreaks of this winter hit poultry producers.

South Africa’s first bird flu outbreaks this year were “a preventable crisis”, FairPlay commented.

China’s decision to scrap all import tariffs for goods from African countries offers plentiful opportunities for South African manufacturers and agricultural producers.

South Africa’s poultry industry is more than a food source — it is a strategic national asset, writes David Wolpert, former CEO of the Association of Meat Importers and Exporters (AMIE).

The South African poultry industry has asked the government to withdraw the “concession” granted to the United States authorities to determine for themselves which US states can export poultry to South Africa following outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI, or bird flu).

The decision by the Department of Agriculture to cede bird flu decisions to the United States did not accord with the department’s commitment to protect South Africa from the virus, FairPlay commented.

Brazil has declared itself free of bird flu, saying that its first – and so far only – outbreak in commercial poultry is over.

Since the ban on Brazilian poultry imports was announced last month, South Africa’s chicken importers have resorted to crisis warnings and scary messaging to try to force the government to get supplies flowing again.

The South African sugar industry is warning once again that dumped sugar imports are placing thousands of local jobs at risk and undermining rural livelihoods.

Animal welfare group NSPCA is pursuing criminal charges against Daybreak’s directors after mass chicken deaths and alleged cruelty at the embattled poultry producer.

Beef prices are driving up food inflation in South Africa, as outbreaks of foot and mouth disease take their toll on meat supply and consumer costs.

Boosting South Africa’s poultry exports are high on the government’s list of agricultural priorities this year.

Two respected analysts have weighed in on different aspects of improving South Africa’s agricultural exports.

Exports and imports would flow quicker if South Africa’s ports were privatised, according to a study by a supply chain company.

South Africa needed a vaccination programme to prevent the devastation of another huge bird flu outbreak, according to agriculture minister John Steenhuisen.

While South Africa hopes to develop a booming chicken export business, poultry imports are declining.

South Africa and Brazil have concluded a compartmentalisation agreement which will allow poultry imports from provinces in Brazil not affected by bird flu.

Chicken is “a protein powerhouse” with other health benefits as well, the New York Times has reported.

South Africa urgently needs vaccination programmes to protect its poultry and cattle, agriculture minister John Steenhuisen told the annual AVI Africa poultry conference last week.

Agriculture minister John Steenhuisen described poultry as one of South Africa’s most important agricultural sectors. He also set out the benefits he expected from the renewed phase of the poultry master plan, first implemented in 2019.

South Africa is about to join the countries vaccinating chickens against bird flu. The programme will start on a few farms, once agreement is reached on revised vaccination requirements, and then expand across the country.

The importance of a bird flu vaccination programme, and the risks of a delay, were highlighted by FairPlay founder Francois Baird.

Brazil has at last applied to South Africa for a compartmentalisation agreement that would allow poultry imports from areas not affected by bird flu.

There’s good news and bad news for those hoping to see more essential foods added to the list of items that are exempt from South Africa’s value added tax (VAT).

After months of wrangling between the South African government and poultry producers, there has at last been a breakthrough and a bird flu vaccination programme should soon get underway.

South African food producers, including the poultry industry, have argued for additional essential food items to be exempt from 15% value added tax (VAT).

Making essential foods cheaper for poor consumers was more than worth the loss of revenue from value added tax, poultry […]

Pressure is mounting on the South African government to allow poultry imports from parts of Brazil that are not affected […]

Chicken importers appear to be making fat profits from sales of mechanically deboned meat (MDM) ahead of an expected shortage because of the bird flu ban on poultry imports from Brazil.

Funding cuts by the Trump administration in the United States have resulted in the closure of a US-funded chicken project in Lesotho.

All three of South Africa’s listed poultry companies have warned of the high risks of renewed bird flu outbreaks and complained of the lack of progress in government approvals for a vaccination programme.

As expected, the South African government has banned all poultry imports from Brazil because of the outbreak of bird flu in that country.

The Public Investment Corporation (PIC), owner of Daybreak Foods, has supported the decision by Daybreak’s board to place the poultry producer into business rescue.

South Africa’s May budget delivered a double blow to the poor on food prices, FairPlay said in a statement.

Since January this year, 155 children under the age of five have died in South African public health facilities, with moderate to severe malnutrition as an underlying condition.

An innovative project in the Western Cape will test a programme to prevent stunting, which affects more than a quarter of South Africa’s children under the age of five.

When Clive Tegere started a two-person chicken hatchery, working with his mother in the family garage, he didn’t expect it to grow so rapidly into a multi-million business producing up to 250 000 day-old chicks every week.

Brazil has reported its first bird flu outbreak in commercial poultry, which is expected to result in South Africa joining other countries which have banned all poultry imports from Brazil.

Brazil’s bird flu outbreak brings to an end a remarkably long period in which Brazil stood out as the only major poultry producing country to be free of the disease.

By the time South Africa and the United States get round to discussing a contentious US duty-free quota for chicken imports into South Africa, there may not be much to fight about.

South Africa’s poultry industry would like a seat at the table if there are to be any changes on import tariffs or quotas of United States chicken imports, according to Astral CEO Gary Arnold.

South Africa’s largest poultry producer, Astral Foods, sold more chickens and earned more revenue in the first six months of this financial year, but saw its profits reduced because of higher costs and lower selling prices.

Three of South Africa’s nine provinces may soon have more people unemployed than working.

South Africa’s widespread food insecurity could only be addressed through economic growth that reduced poverty levels, according to agricultural economist Wandile Sihlobo.

South African pork producers worry that, as part of a new trade deal, the United States might pressure South Africa into relaxing its stringent pork import restrictions.

South Africa’s fifth largest poultry producer, Daybreak Foods, has been making local and international headlines recently for all the wrong reasons.

The high tariffs the United States is imposing on goods from other countries, and particularly China, is leading to shifts in world trade as exporters explore other markets.

South Africa’s food inflation rate dropped again in March 2025, the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP) reports in its monthly food inflation brief.

The continuing spread of bird flu has prompted the Global Virus Network, representing scientists from 40 countries, to call on governments to increase virus control measures and to prepare for potential human-to-human transmission.

The French government is cutting its financial support for bird flu vaccinations, angering the country’s poultry farmers.

South Africa’s largest poultry producer, Astral Foods, expects earnings to drop by up to 60% when it reports results for the six months to end March this year.

Tanzania imposed a ban on all South African agricultural imports last month, in retaliation for what it said was a South African ban on the import of Tanzanian bananas.

Poor people are going to be the hardest hit by the South African government’s decision to scrap the proposed additional food exemptions from value added tax (VAT), FairPlay said in a statement.

Because of disputes over whether or not to increase value added tax (VAT), South Africa is headed for its third budget this year.

The SA Poultry Association (SAPA) has formally applied to South African authorities for the removal of an annual quota of chicken imported from the United States free of anti-dumping duties that would otherwise apply.

An organisation representing South African business leaders has cited the South African motor industry as a prime example of why the country needs a bilateral trade deal with the United States instead of crippling new tariffs.

South Africa’s agricultural sector has made enormous progress since the end of apartheid 31 years ago, and has contributed significantly to the country’s economic growth. However, millions still go hungry because they cannot afford the food that is available.

The British government has ruled out any trade deal with the United Sates that would put chlorinated chicken or hormone beef on British supermarket shelves.

South Africa’s agriculture minister has warned that duty-free access to US markets under AGOA may soon end.

As the US raises steep new tariffs, South Africa and Europe brace for a surge of dumped Chinese goods diverted from American markets, raising fears of damage to local industries.

South African poultry producers are encouraged by sharp declines in bone-in chicken imports but remain concerned about record-high volumes of offal and mechanically deboned meat.

South Africa’s agricultural sector must stay focused on urgent issues like disease control and vaccine readiness, says economist Wandile Sihlobo, warning that political distractions risk sidelining key priorities for growth and food security.

Brazilian meat giant JBS faces mounting scepticism over whether it can meet its 2025 target to eliminate deforestation from its Amazon beef supply chain, amid warnings the region is nearing an environmental tipping point.

The South African government plans to use the 90-day suspension of the imposition of “reciprocal” tariffs by the United States to try to negotiate a bilateral trade deal with the US that benefits both countries.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed former deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas as his special envoy to the United States.

South African producers and manufacturers face multiple tariffs in terms of recent announcements by the United States president, Donald Trump.

South Africa’s attempts to negotiate a bilateral trade deal with the United States might be complicated by continuing hostility from US president Donald Trump.

The South African poultry industry intends applying for an end to a duty-free quota for chicken imports from the United States.

South African citrus producers and their workers are already feeling the effects of the new United States import tariffs.

South Africa should use its remaining term as leader of the G20 group of countries to help drive the African continent’s food security agenda.

South Africa’s farmers and manufacturers are being urged to diversify their exports in order to minimise the damage being done by the high tariff barriers President Donald Trump is erecting around America.

The South African government needs to move much faster to open export market opportunities for South African farmers, according to agricultural economist Wandile Sihlobo.

While tariffs can serve as important tools in addressing unfair global trade practices and protecting national interests, experts caution against sweeping measures that may trigger economic instability or political fallout.

FairPlay founder Francois Baird has included the new US tariff policy in a look at global current affairs through an analogy with famous movies.

Chicken is positioned as the protein winner in the United States in 2025, according to an article in WATT Poultry.

Britain has confirmed that a sheep in Yorkshire contracted bird flu. The disease has been reported in a number of mammals around the world, and in multiple dairy cattle herds in the United States, but this is the first reported case of the virus infecting a sheep.

Agriculture minister John Steenhuisen has called for a “whole-of-society” approach to upgrade South Africa’s agricultural biosecurity and protect the country against animal and crop diseases.

The focus on biosecurity is echoed in a report in The Guardian focusing on the increasing number of bird flu reinfections at poultry operations in the United States.

The huge increase in the production of soybeans – together with maize, a key component of poultry feed – has been highlighted as a South African agricultural success story.

American poultry producers have been advised that bird flu is becoming a permanent feature in the United States and they should adjust their policies for this “new normal”.

United States customs officials are encountering a new phenomenon – increasing incidents of Americans smuggling eggs into the country because they are cheaper across the border.

South Africa’s agriculture department has confirmed that talks would be held with poultry industry leaders to overcome the impasse that is preventing the start of a vaccination programme against bird flu.

In addition to the discussions that might get a bird flu vaccination programme underway, FairPlay has urged agriculture minister John Steenhuisen to intervene on another bird flu control measure – the payment of compensation to farmers for chickens culled during bird flu outbreaks.

South Africa’s farmers are the most optimistic they have been for years, despite the threat of United States tariffs and the potential loss of duty-free access to US markets.

South Africa’s food inflation rate edged up in February, but remained lower than general inflation and below the government’s inflation target.

Bird flu could threaten the world’s largest breeding population of wandering albatrosses, following confirmation of the virus in birds on Marion Island, a sub-Antarctic island teeming with sea birds. It is part of the Edward Islands, administered by South Africa.

The need for urgent action by the South African government to prevent another disastrous bird flu outbreak was stressed by poultry experts during a webinar on bird flu.

The world was “on the edge of a precipice” because of the danger of bird flu mutating into a global human pandemic.

The list of food products the government plans to free from value added tax (VAT) was disappointing and would not help low-income households as much as was hoped, according to tax expert Charles de Wet.

South Africa’s chicken imports remain unpredictable in 2025, with high volumes of offal and MDM driving growth while bird flu continues to limit supplies from the US and EU.

South Africa’s poultry industry is hoping for a breakthrough in exports this year, with EU inspections in May potentially opening doors for cooked chicken exports.

South Africa’s agricultural sector should prioritise fixing local challenges like infrastructure and crime over being distracted by global trade risks, says agricultural economist Wandile Sihlobo.

Millions of poor South Africans would suffer if value added tax is increased, said FairPlay founder Francois Baird.

South Africa’s presidency of the G20 group of countries could be a defining moment for the country’s agricultural sector, according to agricultural economist Thulasizwe Mkhabela.

Rainbow CEO Marthinus Stander used the company announcement to further his argument that cheaper chicken results from the economies of scale of South Africa’s large poultry producers.

Brazil is likely to benefit more than any other country from increasing global demand for chicken, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

China should be a priority for increased South African agricultural exports, according to agricultural economist Wandile Sihlobo.

There is a glimmer of hope that South Africa’s agriculture department might modify its bird flu vaccination requirements, addressing concerns that they are overly restrictive and costly.

Rainbow has urged the South African government to reconsider the onerous requirements which are preventing the start of a bird flu vaccination programme.

More South Africans are experiencing higher levels of food insecurity, according to the latest report by Statistics SA (StatsSA).

While the South African government refuses to compensate chicken farmers for bird flu culls, and places obstacles in the way of a vaccination programme, the United States has pledged an additional $1 billion (R19 billion) to combat the virus there.

South Africa’s food price inflation slowed again in January, despite the reweighting and updating of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) data.

The South African government attributes the 52 930 jobs retained by the poultry industry in recent years to the success of the first phase of the country’s poultry master plan.

South African agricultural exports rose 3% to a record $13.7 billion last year, led by shipments of citrus fruit and grapes, according to the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz).

Agriculture minister John Steenhuisen says he is not aware of a single South African farmer accepting President Trump’s offer to relocate to the United States.

The South African poultry industry has once again urged the government to intervene to overcome the obstacles set up by the Department of Agriculture to a bird flu vaccination programme.

South African consumers have been left wondering whether the government’s plan to make more food items free of value added […]

South Africa’s sugar industry is interested in turning a shuttered oil refinery into a plant producing fuel ethanol from sugar cane.

The loss of South Africa’s preferential trade access to the United States would hurt South African agriculture, but it would not be disastrous, according to agricultural economist Wandile Sihlobo.

South Africa should not panic about the potential loss of its AGOA trade benefits, but plan an orderly exit from the United States legislative arrangement, according to trade advisor Donald MacKay.

The government should use the delay in announcing this year’s Budget to provide for the removal of value added tax (VAT) from chicken products in next month’s revised Budget proposals, according to FairPlay founder Francois Baird.

The chicken industry is one of the successes of South African agriculture over the past 30 years, according to a study by the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP).

Numerous plans to boost black farmers had failed over the past three decades, a BFAP report said. Instead of implementing plans properly, new plans were devised and failed, for the same reason.

South Africa’s department of agriculture appears to have supplied a misleading response to a local newspaper, implying that the government compensates poultry farmers for chickens culled during bird flu outbreaks.

South Africa’s steel and citrus industries have a lot to lose if the United States ends tax-free access to the US market under its AGOA legislation.

With South Africa’s duty-free access to US markets under AGOA at risk, the government is reportedly preparing to negotiate a bilateral trade agreement with the Trump administration to secure key export and import terms.

Nearly six years after its launch, the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) has yet to reshape trade on the continent, with unresolved tariff rules and origin regulations delaying progress.

Rainbow welcomed officials from the Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition (DTIC) and the Department of Agriculture, showcasing its operations and highlighting the poultry sector’s crucial role in food security, economic growth, and local industry development.

South Africa’s agriculture minister, John Steenhuisen, has outlined his plans to strengthen the agricultural sector, including a strong focus on exports.

The South African poultry industry has appealed to the government to allow a “practical, effective and affordable” vaccination programme against bird flu to avert another financial and food security crisis.

Many other countries have removed value added tax (VAT) from chicken – so why can’t South Africa do the same?

Tax consulting firm AJM speculates that VAT-free chicken could be included South Africa’s annual Budget later this month.

South Africa faced a new reality this week – hostility from US President Donald Trump turned into an executive order halting all US foreign aid and assistance, and offering refuge to South Africa’s supposedly beleaguered Afrikaner farmers.

For the first time in 16 years, Astral Foods, South Africa’s largest poultry producer, has a new CEO.

The South African poultry industry intends approaching agriculture minister John Steenhuisen to get agreement on a practical set of requirements to get vaccination of the country’s chicken flocks underway.

The South African government’s refusal to compensate poultry farmers for chickens culled during avian influenza (bird flu) outbreaks has increased the need for a vaccination programme to combat the virus.

Scientists from the European health and safety bodies have so far come across 34 genetic mutations that may give avian influenza a chance of infecting humans. This has happened sporadically in recent years, often with fatal consequences.

South Africa’s preferential trade access to United States markets came into question again this week when President Donald Trump criticised South Africa and temporarily blocked all US funding to the country.

While new US tariffs on other countries may have little direct impact on South African agriculture, economist Wandile Sihlobo warns that US farmers could shift their exports to alternate markets, increasing competition for SA producers.

South African food company Tiger Brands has agreed to its first limited payments to victims of the 2017/18 listeriosis outbreak, which killed more than 200 people and infected many more.

The South African government says the country’s new poultry master plan would pursue an export-driven growth strategy for the South African poultry industry.

The need to remove obstacles to bird flu vaccinations is urgent, as bird flu season is approaching, the South African Poultry Association (SAPA) has stressed.

Yet another attempt is to be made to revive Ghana’s poultry industry, devastated by a decade of dumped poultry imports from areas such as the European Union.

South Africa’s food inflation ended 2024 below the country’s general inflation rate as measured by the consumer price index (CPI), […]

South Africa could lose billions of rands in agricultural exports and thousands of farm jobs if it has to comply with European Union (EU) regulations on agricultural pesticides.

Brazil has developed a new and flourishing agricultural export market – the sale of cattle gallstones to Hong Kong and other Asian markets.

The South African poultry industry has called on agriculture minister John Steenhuisen to help protect poultry farmers from the renewed threat of disastrous bird flu outbreaks.

Despite considerable challenges, and the high risk of renewed bird flu outbreaks, the South African poultry industry believes 2025 should be a good year for farmers.

FairPlay has called on the South African government to make 2025 the year that millions of poor people are helped by the removal of value added tax (VAT) from selected chicken products.

The submission the government is considering, advocates the removal of VAT from the chicken products favoured by low-income households – frozen chicken portions and fresh and frozen chicken offal, such as heads, feet and livers.

With President Trump back in office in Washington, South African businesses are waiting nervously to see whether he ends the country’s benefits under the AGOA trade preference system for African countries.

Imposing anti-dumping duties on chicken imports had helped the local industry to recover, the South African Poultry Association (SAPA) told The Star newspaper.

If bird flu became transmissible between humans, its impact could be worse than the Covid-19 pandemic.

South Africa must not miss another opportunity to make nutritious chicken cheaper for millions of poor people.

More than 150 Nobel and World Food prize laureates have signed an open letter calling for “moonshot” efforts to ramp up food production before an impending world hunger catastrophe.

For the second year running, official statistics on the extent of South Africa’s agricultural decline have been challenged by the independent research organisation the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP).

The government should make it a priority this year to release unused state land to black farmers, according to agricultural economist Wandile Sihlobo.

South Africa’s increasing meat consumption has largely been driven by rising demand for chicken, according to an analysis by the Animal Feed Manufacturers Association (AFMA).

South African agricultural producers will have to comply with the European Union’s strict new environmental regulations if they want to continue to export to the region.

Brazil registered yet another record year for poultry meat exports in 2024, with South Africa its fifth largest customer.

As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office with a bold new tariff agenda, South Africa faces uncertainty over its AGOA benefits and broader trade relations with the United States.

This year could bring help to millions of poor South African families struggling to feed themselves and their children if the application for VAT-free chicken is approved by the government.

Bird flu, and the measures to counter it, are going to be key issues both domestically and internationally in 2025.

Global concerns are mounting over bird flu’s potential to mutate into a human-transmissible virus, with the United States grappling with outbreaks in dairy cows, rising human cases, and intensified monitoring efforts.

South Africa’s chicken imports are likely to hinge on the severity of bird flu outbreaks in producer countries, with 2025 import volumes poised to rise or fall depending on the disease’s impact.

BRICS welcomes nine new partner countries, further solidifying its global influence by encompassing half the world’s population and 41% of the global economy.

As we close out the year, we’re excited to be able to share FairPlay’s latest annual report with you.

The government should not waste its second opportunity to lower food prices for poor people by removing value-added tax (VAT) from chicken.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has repeated that it is government’s intention to increase the number of essential foods that are free of the country’s 15% value added tax.

In theory, Africa is creating the world’s largest free trade area. In practice, progress has been slow and it will be a long time before even limited benefits are realised.

World trade is going to be complicated in 2025, because US President-elect Trump sees tariffs not as a trade measure but as a stick to make other countries do what he wants.

Making chicken VAT-free is a practical, cost-effective, and socially just policy to alleviate poverty, improve nutrition, and drive economic growth. The potential revenue loss is small compared to the profound benefits for South Africa’s most vulnerable citizens.

The chicken products from which VAT should be removed have been carefully selected to have the most benefit for South Africa’s poorer households.

Chicken is rich in vitamins and other essential nutrients. Making it more affordable would help prevent stunting and malnutrition.

Because of widespread malnutrition, South Africa has one of the highest child stunting rates in the world. Stunting affects both the children concerned and reduces national economic growth, the VAT-free chicken proposal states.

The revenue lost by exempting chicken from VAT is relatively small and would be countered by benefits to poorer people and society as a whole, the proposal for VAT-free chicken states.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced a sweeping food safety crackdown on spaza shops in South Africa’s townships and informal settlements, as well as tighter regulations for general dealers and all food handling and distribution facilities.

The South African poultry industry is confident that VAT-free chicken would benefit low income households rather than affluent consumers, and believes the savings will be passed on by producers and retailers

Chicken is an essential source of meat protein for South Africa’s low-income households, and VAT-free chicken is needed as an additional measure to keep prices down.

The South African poultry industry’s recovery from last year’s devastating losses is illustrated by the return to profitability of Astral Foods, the country’s largest poultry producer.

Gary Arnold will succeed the long-serving Chris Schutte as CEO of Astral Foods, South Africa’s largest poultry producer.

South Africa’s unemployment rate dropped slightly in the third quarter of this year, but millions of people, particularly young aspirant workers, remain without a job.

Bird flu has probably hit Marion Island, threatening almost half of the world’s wandering albatrosses, the South African government has reported. At the same time, bird flu outbreaks in Europe are increasing as the northern winter approaches.

The need for stricter food safety measures in South Africa’s informal markets has been highlighted by recent incidents following purchases from what are known as spaza shops, which are common in informal areas.

The South African poultry industry has squashed the argument that chicken imports do not compete with local chicken or harm local producers.

Agriculture minister John Steenhuisen believes South Africa’s sugar industry should diversify into other crops, and mass produce crops used in ethanol production.

Agriculture is South Africa’s “quiet giant”, contributing significantly to food security, employment, export earnings, and the broader economy and providing the foundation for rural life.

The UK government celebrated the lifting of South Africa’s bird flu ban on British poultry, only for the ban to be reimposed a month later due to a new outbreak.

A new Industrial Policy Masterclass at the University of Pretoria offers insights that could benefit local industries and help create stronger, fairer markets across Africa.

More investment in agricultural research and development (R&D) in Africa would pay huge dividends and result in cheaper food, says development economist Dr Ralph Nordjo.

South Africa spends a huge R680 billion a year to tackle child poverty, but 13 million children live below the poverty line, the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund reports.

South Africa’s “mini budget” this month gave supporters of VAT-free chicken some encouragement and some food for thought.

The slow implementation of the poultry master plan, particularly regarding chicken exports, is highlighted in the first annual report from newly listed Rainbow.

The two largest poultry producers in South Africa, Astral Foods and Rainbow, continue to produce improved results after a disastrous 2023 caused by bird flu, power outages and high feed costs.

South Africa’s crop production should recover later this year after an earlier poor harvest, according to agricultural economist Wandile Sihlobo.

South African consumers got some sort of relief the day after the mini-budget, when deputy finance minister David Masondo said the government did not intend to increase taxes over the next few years.

The poor would benefit most if 15% value added tax (VAT) is removed from selected chicken portions, according to Izaak Breitenbach of the SA Poultry Association.

VAT-free chicken was needed now “more than ever before”, said FairPlay founder Francois Baird.

South Africa’s food prices will continue to rise in coming months, but the increases will be far more moderate than seen in 2023.

South Africa’s Competition Commission is going to monitor food value chains to understand why retail prices have remained high despite cost pressures easing.

South Africa should use its political links to boost agricultural exports to other BRICS countries, according to agricultural economist Wandile Sihlobo.

Poultry farmers remain uncertain about compensation for bird flu culls, as the government has yet to comment or confirm if it will comply with a court ruling.

Child stunting is a national crisis and should be a national shame.

South Africa’s slow progress in addressing food insecurity was one of the causes of high rates of child malnutrition and stunting, Child Gauge reported back in 2017.

One of the people who can make a real contribution to combating South Africa’s high level of malnutrition and child stunting is agriculture minister John Steenhuisen.

South Africa’s food security dropped last year to its lowest level in more than a decade, the Shoprite retail group has reported.

For South Africa to achieve the United Nations goal of “Zero Hunger”, the country must enhance agricultural productivity and ensure equitable access to nutritious food.

The British government is treating the routine lifting of a long-standing bird flu ban on its chicken imports into South Africa as if it were an historic new trade deal.

The benefits for South Africa’s poorest people are going to be a focus of the submission by South Africa’s poultry industry for the removal of the 15% value added tax (VAT) from chicken products.

It’s unfair that South Africa’s poorest consumers have to pay an extra 15% on every chicken portion that they buy.

VAT-free chicken is vital for South Africa and its children, FairPlay founder Francois Baird told a TV audience.

South Africa faces a deepening malnutrition crisis, with more than 60% of households suffering some form of food insecurity and more than 40% unable to afford nutritious items, the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) has found.

South Africa’s poultry producers will be pleased with the continued decline in imports of the bone-in chicken portions which caused a crisis in previous years.

Chicken importers are on a mission to get more and cheaper mechanically deboned meat (MDM) into South Africa, but the facts don’t always support their good story. And sometimes there’s a back story that isn’t told.

The South African poultry industry is pushing for a renewed focus on restructuring the country’s trade tariffs to curb illegal chicken imports.

There is an urgent need for the South African government and the poultry industry to find a solution to the impasse which is preventing vaccination against bird flu.

FairPlay founder Francois Baird is optimistic that chicken will at last be added to the essential foods that are exempt from South Africa’s 15% value added tax (VAT).

South Africa needs a bold, export-driven strategy to boost agricultural production, according to agricultural economist Wandile Sihlobo.

A million tonnes of chicken is smuggled into Nigeria every year, according to the country’s animal feed producers. This nearly three times the domestic chicken production of 355 000 tonnes annually.

A global bird flu outbreak has claimed the lives of dozens of tigers in Vietnam and has now spread to humans in the US, raising concerns about the potential for wider transmission.

Removing the 15% value added tax (VAT) from chicken would make it more affordable for poor people in South Africa – directly and through the economies of scale created by an expanded poultry industry.

VAT-free chicken, bird flu vaccinations and chicken exports – these are South African poultry industry’s strategic priorities as the poultry master plan gets set for a remake.

The South African poultry industry had increased capacity by 10% since the poultry master plan was signed in 2019, says SAPA’s Izaak Breitenbach.

Removing VAT from chicken would be a low-cost social programme and job creator, according to FairPlay founder Francois Baird.

Expanding trade within Africa will involve the transport of increased volumes of refrigerated or frozen food, with food safety risks if the required cold temperature is not constantly maintained.

South Africa needed effective law enforcement to ensure speedy compensation for food poisoning victims and others claiming against large corporations.

South Africa’s new agriculture minister, John Steenhuisen, is pushing a renewed focus on structural reforms, biosecurity and improved trade relations with other countries.

Growth in global poultry consumption is poised to return to historic levels after several years of slow progress.

South African agriculture could soon recover from the mid-season drought which resulted in major summer grain crop losses this year.

Africa’s food insecurity crisis will be the focus of a conference in Cape Town that will bring together 800 delegates from governments and the private sector in order to promote investment in agriculture.

Nearly 50 of the world’s largest food manufacturing companies have invested in the production of plant-based or cell-cultured meats.

A very favourable report on South Africa’s business and economic prospects has been compiled by the international news agency Bloomberg.

South Africa’s chicken imports have been declining from a peak in 2018 and that trend has continued this year.

As chicken import volumes dropped in recent years, the origin of those imports has changed, and so has the composition of the chicken products being imported.

Lower feed prices should help South Africa’s chicken producers to limit price increases this year, according to a report in the Daily Maverick.

South Africa is missing out on the huge potential for agricultural exports to China, according to leading agricultural economist Wandile Sihlobo.

Malnutrition is “the world’s worst child health crisis”, according to philanthropist Bill Gates.

In 2016 dumped chicken imports reduced Ghana’s poultry industry to 5% of its local market. The government has since spent millions to rebuild local poultry producers, but now imports are mounting once again. Development economist Dr Ralph Nordjo suggests some solutions.

As individual countries suffer outbreaks of avian influenza (bird flu), the worldwide impact of the virus on birds, mammals and humans is often overlooked.

While bird flu is a rising global concern, two measures to prevent another devastating outbreak in South Africa are on hold, awaiting government decisions.

South Africa has expanded access to China for South African agricultural products, and there is more good news to come later this year, according to agriculture minister John Steenhuisen.

South Africa’s trade regulator, the International Trade Administration Commission (ITAC), has defended itself against criticism that its tariff investigations take far too long.

South Africa’s agriculture minister John Steenhuisen has promised to address the shortage of veterinarians in the country and the challenging conditions under which they work.

South Africa’s worst food safety lapse – the 2017 listeriosis outbreak which killed more than 200 people and sickened more than 1 000 – may finally be approaching closure.

In our series of insights into the poultry industry, Gary Arnold from Astral Foods, South Africa’s largest poultry producer, explains how the company dealt with the huge setbacks from last year’s bird flu outbreak, and how its actions can show the way for others.

South African poultry producers will push for all frozen chicken, both locally produced and imported, to be exempted from the country’s 15% value added tax (VAT).

The South African government is encouraging beef producers to take advantage of the lifting of the 21-year import ban of South African meat products by Saudi Arabia.

Rainbow Chicken, South Africa’s second largest poultry producer, has turned from loss to a significant profit in the year to end June 2024.

South Africa is awaiting documentation from Brazil before it lifts a ban on poultry imports from that country’s Rio do Sul province, according to a report on News24.

Donald MacKay, CEO of XA Global Trade Advisors, is a tenacious proponent of the idea that import tariffs should serve a purpose, and be scrapped when they are no longer needed.

While South Africa’s poultry industry has long recognised the strategic importance of exporting to international markets, very few producers have actually engaged with these markets, writes Chris Coombes and Gerald Walter from Sovereign Foods.

A new survey has revealed that more than 70% of households in KwaZulu-Natal province are food insecure, with 17.1% facing severe shortages.

South Africa’s food inflation rate dropped further to 4.5% in July, but may be set to rise again as cost pressures come up through the value chain.

France is planning a second season of vaccination against bird flu, with the government picking up most of the costs.

RCL Foods, former owner of Rainbow Chicken, says Rainbow operations contributed substantially to the improved results it will report next week.

South Africa’s agricultural sector can help address the country’s record high unemployment rate, according the new agriculture minister, John Steenhuisen.

South Africa’s Competition Commission is investigating vertical integration in the poultry industry, where large producers combine all stages of chicken […]

South Africa’s rising unemployment rate made removing value added tax (VAT) from chicken even more urgent, according to FairPlay founder […]

If Europe’s large-scale poultry producers resume their chicken exports to South Africa, the local industry may face a renewed threat […]

South African poultry and beef producers will have to expand exports over the next decade to absorb production growth, but […]

South African food producers should emulate countries like Italy and Japan, which legally protect local produce and foods, and market […]

Australia has limited poultry imports by applying strict health requirements rather than import duties, explains David Wolpert, who used to oversee […]

FairPlay founder Francois Baird has made a strong attack on Brazilian calls to other countries to drop their restrictions on […]

Chicken dumping is a strange global trade phenomenon. It is not caused by production efficiencies but by northern hemisphere dietary […]

South Africa’s egg producers are still suffering the effects of last year’s devastating outbreaks of bird flu. Egg production has […]

The pernicious effect of dumped imports has been shown in Chile, where the country’s largest steelmaker is to close, affecting […]

Chris Schutte is to retire next year from his position as CEO of South Africa’s largest poultry producer, Astral Foods. […]

Celebrate agriculture’s successes, says Christo van der Rheede, adjunct professor at the faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, University of Free […]

South Africa faces a deepening malnutrition crisis, with more than 60% of households suffering some level of food insecurity and […]

The HSRC survey reported an overall prevalence of stunting for children under the age of 5 years of 28.8%, of […]

The steady rise in South Africa’s imports of chicken offal showed the need to keep chicken affordable, including pressing retail […]

After years of battling unsuccessfully against “unscientific and discriminatory” European Union restrictions on South African citrus imports, the industry has […]

South Africa’s food inflation rate in June was the lowest since the Covid lockdowns of 2020, according to a statement […]

In a recent conversation with agricultural economist, Wandile Sihlobo, we elicited his insights on the key priorities and opportunities for South […]

The South African Poultry Association (SAPA) has come out in full support of the removal of value added tax (VAT) […]

Removing value added tax (VAT) from chicken would not only help feed millions of poor people, but it would have […]

President Ramaphosa has most likely urged swift action on his proposal to extend the list of VAT-exempt essential foods, potentially […]

A South African government delegation has returned from the United States optimistic that its mission to cement trade ties between […]

One of South Africa’s leading agricultural economists has urged Botswana and Namibia to come to an agreement with South Africa […]

South African poultry producers were generous donors to the annual challenge to cook up 67 000 litres of soup for distribution […]

Agrarian reform expert, Dr Marc Wegerif, believes that South Africa is food secure at a national level, but more could be […]

The drive for VAT-free chicken has been given welcome impetus by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s promise that the new government of […]

South Africa’s new agriculture minister, John Steenhuisen, is taking a close look at one of the country’s agricultural master plans. […]

Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen has yet to address two critical issues: bird flu vaccination and culling compensation for affected farmers. […]

It’s planned to be the world’s biggest free trade area and Parks Tau, South Africa’s new Minister of Trade, Industry […]

Amid concerns about South Africa’s foreign policy stance, Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Parks Tau heads to Washington to […]

If the South African government does not appeal against a judgment that would force it to compensate a farmer for bird flu losses, it could face a flood of claims from other poultry producers. The total could run into billions of rand.

South Africa’s new agriculture minister, John Steenhuisen, says he is determined to improve things for farmers, farmworkers and agricultural exporters.

South Africa’s chicken imports were down again in May, according to the latest official statistics, and 2024 may be heading for another annual drop.

South Africa’s new government must urgently address inefficiencies and delays to foster sustainable growth in the agricultural sector.

New agriculture minister John Steenhuisen has pledged to champion the whole agriculture sector, but particularly the empowerment of black and emerging farmers.

Chicken importers have fallen so much in love with rebates on chicken imports that they would like them to be implemented permanently.

With China importing less chicken, poultry exporting countries like Brazil and the United States will be looking for new markets, according to the food and agribusiness bank Rabobank.

One consequence of the formation of South Africa’s government of national unity is that it has brought supporters of VAT-free chicken into positions of power.

South Africa’s leading poultry producer, Astral Foods, plans to test the market for canned chicken. It’s a product popular in other countries, the SA Poultry Association (SAPA) has pointed out.

Supporting local poultry farmers is not just a nice thing to do but a rational one, says development economist Dr Ralph Nordjo

The formation of South Africa’s government of national unity (GNU) has put two brand new cabinet ministers in charge of the country’s two agricultural master plans.

Ahead of this year’s general elections, FairPlay has solicited the views of experts on the priorities, opportunities and constraints facing South Africa’s agriculture sector.

Unlike other countries, the South African government has refused to compensate poultry farmers for the chickens they are ordered to cull to stop the spread of bird flu. That may be about to change.

South Africa’s stalled bird flu vaccination programme is going to be another priority for Minister Steenhuisen.

South Africa’s Agribusiness Confidence Index (ACI) reached a 15-year low in the second quarter of this year.

The Cape Town High Court has ruled against the government’s refusal to compensate poultry farmers for chickens culled during bird flu outbreaks.

Cocaine has been found in two containers of chicken packed for export in Brazil – one destined for South Africa, the other for the Netherlands.

Agriculture should be an area on which political parties can agree, and not become a victim of divisive and populist politics, says agricultural economist Wandile Sihlobo.

South Africa’s veterinary services are in a crisis, with an increasing number of vets resigning and many of them emigrating to other countries.

A third South African poultry company has announced that is on the road to recovery after the disastrous outbreaks of bird flu last year led to massive cost increases, turning profits into losses.

In an interview ahead of Rainbow’s stock exchange listing this week, Rainbow MD Marthinus Stander stressed what he called the wonders of chicken and said the company focused on keeping prices down.

Unless the South African government relents, chicken importers missed out on a bonanza in April, because the substantial tariff rebates from which they would benefit have not been renewed.

Chicken imports rose substantially in April this year, including in all the categories to which tariff rebates had applied for the previous three months.

Co-ownership by local communities of game lodges and tourist operations is increasing in Southern Africa, contributing to wildlife conservation and boosting national tourism revenues.

In America and Europe, vaccines are being developed to prevent humans being infected with avian influenza (bird flu).

Despite many growth constraints in the first three months of this year, South Africa’s agricultural sector rebounded strongly, with agriculture GDP growing by 13.5%.

The canned chicken market in South Africa will see rivalry between Astral Foods, South Africa’s largest poultry producer, and Oceana, which sells the popular Lucky Star brand of canned pilchards.

Two agricultural sector master plans that have yet to deliver fully on their promises of growth and jobs should be high on the priority list for South Africa’s next government.

While consumers paid more to buy chicken between February and April this year, farmers were paid less for this commodity, according to the latest Farm-to-Retail Price Spread report, published in May this year by the National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC).

Rainbow, South Africa’s second largest poultry producer, returns to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) this month after an absence of more than a decade.

Fears of a possible resurgence of bird flu in South Africa this winter have been highlighted by the international publication WATTPoultry.

Each year, African political leaders gather to set an agenda for the transformation of the region. While efforts have been made, the region – as compared to the rest of the world – continues to record little economic growth and high levels of poverty.

Chicken importers are agitating for a renewal of rebates on import tariffs that applied for the first three months of the year. As usual, their arguments ignore key facts.

Slow but steady progress is being made in vaccinating poultry against avian influenza (bird flu).

Chicken is the world’s most popular meat, and will account for nearly 30% of the growth in global meat consumption over the next three years.

South Africa’s largest poultry producer, Astral Foods, is planning a canned chicken product to rival tinned pilchards and sardines.

One of the big post-election questions, for the poultry industry in particular, is who will succeed Ebrahim Patel as Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition.

South Africa’s unemployment rate is dangerously high and keeps on rising. The government desperately wants more jobs. Why then does it keep on putting obstacles in the way of the poultry industry with its proven job creation capability?

African mega-farming offers huge growth potential, with plans to boost exports to China and Europe. Yet, to succeed, investment in infrastructure and strong governance are crucial to tackle food insecurity and unstable institutions.

We asked a handful of key opinion leaders and experts this question: Following the general elections, what do you think a new government could do to quickly unlock South Africa’s agricultural potential, and kick-start growth?

We’ve asked the largest parties in South Africa about their plans for the agricultural sector, jobs and food security. This is what they had to say.

FairPlay has extended its criticism of the South African government’s refusal to compensate poultry farmers for bird flu culls, saying the policy was probably contributing to the spread of the virus.

It’s not only in South Africa that eggs are becoming more expensive.

France is attributing a sharp drop in the number of bird flu cases to a successful pilot campaign to vaccinate millions of ducks.

Good news for South African consumers – drought damage to maize crops is less than had been feared.

The Biden administration has taken strong measures to protect the US steel, shipbuilding and manufacturing industries threatened by cheap imports of steel and aluminium from China.

Astral Foods, South Africa’s largest poultry producer, is slowly recovering from the worst year in its history.

FairPlay has hit out at the South African government’s continued refusal to compensate poultry farmers for chickens culled during bird flu outbreaks.

South Africa has renewed anti-dumping duties on dumped chicken imported from the US. However, due to the Agoa trade deal, these anti-dumping duties are largely meaningless.

Brazil is selling more and more poultry to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, two markets on South Africa’s export list but where progress has been painfully slow.

While the South African government continues to put obstacles in the way of the country’s huge poultry industry, it has come out in unreserved support for the important, but smaller, citrus industry.

South Africa’s food price inflation was down again in March, continuing a steady decline since it peaked at 14% in March 2023.

As bird flu devastated poultry flocks around the world in recent years, it has also infected an increasing number of mammals – seals, sea lions, bears, minks, domestic cats and, most recently cows in Texas.

The South African poultry industry has advised the government that there is no need to continue the tariff rebates on chicken imports, and that doing so would be illegal.

The debate about tariff rebates on South Africa’s chicken imports featured strongly in the Citizen newspaper this week.

Import tariff rebates were in effect for January, February and March to encourage additional chicken imports into South Africa because the government wrongly believed there was a shortage of chicken on the market.

The fearsome powers of South Africa’s competition-related market inquiries are among the reasons that the country’s poultry industry does not like the market inquiry which will investigate the workings and structure of the industry.

South Africa’s trade regulator suffered a ransomware attack in January and has alerted its stakeholders to the risk that their personal information may have been extracted.

As the southern African region battles an El Niño-induced drought, South Africa’s food supplies remain sufficient, says the government.

Chicken feet are tasty and very, very good for you.

The concentrated nature of the South African poultry industry is a benefit not a fault to be rectified, says Izaak Breitenbach of the SA Poultry Association (SAPA).

Dumped chicken imports from the European Union continue to harm Africa’s poultry producers and cost local jobs.

The big mystery about South Africa’s rebates on chicken imports is why they were approved when they weren’t needed.

If you listened to South Africa’s chicken importers, you might believe that tariff rebates on chicken imports are a wonderful thing, and that there is really no competition between importers and local chicken producers.

If the world’s meat eaters switched to chicken, the beneficial environmental impact would help the world to feed itself in the future.

United States officials have announced the country’s second case of bird flu in a human being.

Chicken importers are being hit hard by a sudden intensification of veterinary inspections at South African harbours.

South Africa’s food price inflation continues to drop, and is now closer to overall inflation, as measured by the consumer price index (CPI).

High food prices are forcing South Africans to tighten their belts, with nearly half of them switching to lower priced products.

Disruption of vulnerable shipping routes is the biggest “wild card” threat to the global poultry trade, according to Rabobank, which conducts global food and agribusiness research.

Despite having procedures in place, South Africa’s agricultural authorities are refusing to pay any bird flu compensation at all.

Bird flu has been identified in dairy cattle in the United States, and questions are now being asked whether this has happened, undetected, in other countries as well.

The South African poultry industry will be engaging with government authorities in an attempt to prevent additional chicken imports being encouraged through tariff rebates for the second quarter from April 2024.

President Cyril Ramaphosa is determined to add to the number of competition-based market inquiries being held in South Africa.

Sophisticated, large-scale commercial farming can improve food security and global trade for African countries, according to FairPlay founder Francois Baird.

The independent Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP) says the decline in South Africa’s agricultural sector last year was not nearly as bad as portrayed in official statistics.

The rising trend in chicken imports into South Africa has continued in 2024, and import tariff rebates will continue that trend by encouraging importers to buy more chicken from abroad.

Chicken imports rose in January, including across all categories covered by the controversial import tariff rebates, designed to incentivise additional imports.

ITAC reveals that meat importers are granted flexibility in choosing which chicken products to apply tariff rebates to, despite objections from local poultry producers who argue there’s no supply shortage.

While South Africa’s chicken industry is back to full production after last year’s avian influenza (bird flu) outbreaks, the egg industry may take a year to return to normal – provided bird flu remains at bay this winter.

South African poultry producers have condemned the government’s approval of rebates to encourage more chicken imports, saying it is “unnecessary, unjustified and damaging to the domestic poultry industry”.

Individuals and businesses have until 4pm tomorrow, 15 March, to submit comments to South Africa’s Competition Commission on the terms of reference of its market inquiry into the country’s poultry industry.

After a delayed arrival, the El Niño weather phenomenon is making itself felt in southern Africa. Hotter and drier conditions are expected to reduce grain harvests, spreading hunger and poverty in the region.

Bird flu losses suffered by South Africa’s poultry industry helped drag the country’s agricultural sector down to a surprisingly large contraction in the second half of 2023

Business Day warns of potential food price inflation due to heat-damaged crops in South Africa’s main grain regions, exacerbating challenges for poorer households heavily reliant on staple foods.

EU chicken exports dropped in 2023 due to competition from cheaper Brazilian products, especially in African markets, with bird flu outbreaks further impacting exports.

In apparent defiance of both facts and logic, South Africa’s trade regulator has approved tariff rebates on the import of some 43 000 tonnes of chicken, and may repeat that in the second quarter.

Fewer South African companies are applying for import duty protection because the investigations take too long and the government demands onerous undertakings in return for tariff approval.

Rainbow is to be spun out of RCL Foods and listed separately on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.

In a poultry market update included with its results, RCL Foods took issue with recent announcements of rebates on chicken import tariffs and a poultry market inquiry.

South African poultry prices declined in January as demand weakened after the December peak, according to the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP).

A South African meat producer hopes expansion into Saudi Arabia will help double South Africa’s beef exports.

The decision to approve tariff rebates on thousands of tonnes of chicken imports is unbelievable and must be reversed.

A tariff restructure to curb illegal chicken imports was considered urgent four years ago. Since then, nothing has happened.

Quantum foods, South Africa’s largest egg producer, expects the country’s egg supply to remain constrained for much of this year as the industry recovers from last year’s avian influenza (bird flu) outbreaks.

Amidst unprecedented challenges, South Africa’s vital industries face an additional hurdle: burdensome market inquiries risking further setbacks and hampered competitiveness.

In the past two years, avian influenza (bird flu) has encompassed the world, from east to west and now also from north to south.

The newspaper Business Day has come out in strong opposition to the Competition Commission’s market inquiry system, and in particular to the latest one into the poultry industry.

In its poultry probe, the Competition Commission should acknowledge findings from the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy’s 2021 study, which shows that the agriculture sector has one of the lowest market concentration levels in South Africa.

Year-end imports statistics for 2023 confirm that South Africa’s poultry imports showed their first annual increase in four years, ending a steady decline in import volumes.

South African food inflation dropped to 8.5% in December 2023, however concerns remain over rising grain prices and the impact of the El Niño weather pattern.

South Africa faces the possibility of a review of its Agoa membership by the US Congress, with concerns over potential implications for the country’s access to US markets.

South Africa’s poultry industry is in for a tough 2024, as the government introduces measures to discount chicken imports, and launches an inquiry into the local poultry market. This adds to the numerous challenges faced by local chicken farmers who have already suffered enormous losses due to bird flu and load-shedding.

The South African government’s unexpected inquiry into the local poultry market has sparked disbelief among analysts and role-players. The South African Poultry Association says that it could exacerbate existing challenges faced by the industry.

Chris Schutte, CEO of Astral Foods, says the recent announcement of a poultry market inquiry was an unjustified assault on the industry, stressing that the struggling poultry sector needs support and investment, not further scrutiny.

South African poultry producers and importers are at odds over the introduction of rebates in chicken import tariffs. Producers fear a surge in imports, while importers express concern that the rebates might not materialise due to stringent conditions set by the trade regulator.

The announced rebates on poultry imports have sparked confusion and concern among stakeholders, with discrepancies emerging between what South Africa’s trade regulator has announced and what was initially proposed.

FairPlay has urged South Africa’s finance minister Enoch Godongwana to consider removing the 15% value-added tax (VAT) from locally produced chicken portions, stressing the urgency to make chicken more affordable for low-income households

The South African poultry industry voices its discontent over proposed import tariff rebates amidst a surplus of chicken, highlighting concerns about import policies and their potential effects on local producers and consumers.

Recently announced import tariff rebates could have unintended consequences on the local poultry industry, as highlighted by XA Global Trade Advisors. Their analysis shows a discrepancy between gazetted tariff reductions and the original intentions of trade regulator, ITAC.

FairPlay has urged Trade Minister Ebrahim Patel to abandon his proposed import rebate scheme, warning that it could devastate South Africa’s poultry industry.

The South African poultry industry says the strict conditions farmers must meet before they can vaccinate their chickens against bird flu will prevent large numbers of poultry producers getting permits to vaccinate their flocks.

In the middle of the controversy over the proposed rebates on chicken import tariffs came some encouraging news for the South African poultry industry.

South Africa’s food price inflation dropped in December and economists expect it to continue to decline in 2024.

South Africa’s inaugural shipments under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCTFA) mark a pivotal moment in continental economic integration, yet challenges persist, notably conflicts and coups disrupting trade flows, according to AfCTFA Secretary-General Wamkele Mene.

It’s only just started, but 2024 has already delivered a huge mystery – why has the government authorised rebates on chicken import tariffs to counter a shortage which doesn’t exist?

An angry South African poultry industry has urged the government not to approve any applications for tariff rebates on chicken imports.

Trade and industry minister Ebrahim Patel had “kicked the poultry industry when it’s down,” FairPlay said in a statement in reaction to tariff rebates for chicken imports.

For a government minister to introduce import tariff rebates to solve a problem that did not exist was “irrational” and “astonishing”, FairPlay founder Francois Baird said in a radio interview with Moneyweb.

Chicken importers still haven’t committed to passing on lower prices that may result from the rebates on import tariffs that the government plans to implement.

Importers welcome tariff rebates, but their emphasis on pricing overlooks that imports make up only 20% of the local chicken market, raising concerns about the impact on local producers and jobs.

Guidelines published this week put an annual cap of 172 000 tonnes on the amount of chicken meat that could be subject to rebates on the applicable import tariffs. This is nearly equal to the total amount imported last year under these tariff headings.

Despite hopes that 2024 will be a better year for South Africa’s battling poultry farmers, the industry starts with a number of problems unresolved from the previous year.

The drop in chicken prices this year, and the lack of any shortage in December, has been confirmed by Izaak Breitenbach of the SA Poultry Association (SAPA).

Another problem for South Africa’s poultry farmers is the delays in implementing vaccination against avian influenza (bird flu) because the government has imposed onerous conditions on farmers wanting to use them.

South Africa’s poultry and irrigation-dependent farmers will be dreading the double-digit electricity tariff hikes coming this year.

South Africa is the only country in the world where businesses list infrastructure failure as the principal risk they face in the year ahead. They’ve done so for two years in a row.

South African companies have signed a R300 million a year deal to supply chicken feet to China where they are a delicacy in great demand.

The government has put veterinary doctors and nurses back on the critical skills list, making it easier for foreign vets to work in South Africa.

Instead of a plan to support South Africa’s beleaguered poultry industry, the government has imposed another unnecessary burden in the form of subsidised imports of nearly every chicken product.

The South African government’s controversial proposal to encourage more chicken imports through lower import tariffs has not gone away.

Trade statistics show that poultry imports into South Africa are rising, posing concerns for local producers.

South African poultry producers may see a rebound in 2024 following a challenging 2023 marked by factors like power outages, municipal decay, and avian flu.

Trade minister, Ebrahim Patel, is confident that South Africa’s Agoa participation will not suffer when the US congress legislates to renew the deal next year.

While South Africa is classed as the most food secure country in sub-Saharan Africa, millions of South Africans go to bed hungry at night.

The Democratic Alliance has issued a statement calling on government to urgently fill more than 100 state vet vacancies.

Brazil sets a record with over 5 million tonnes of poultry exported in 2023, marking a 6.6% increase from the previous year.

The lengthening list of mammals affected by avian influenza (bird flu) now includes polar bears.

Renewed bird flu outbreaks in the United States prompt Russia to consider banning the transit of US poultry, potentially escalating tensions between the two nations.

Will South Africa’s chicken importers persist in exaggerating figures and making outlandish predictions to advocate for reduced import tariffs, masking potential profit gains, and overlooking the impact on local farmers and jobs?

The poor performance of South Africa’s poultry industry contributed substantially to the 9.6% contraction in the gross value added by the country’s agricultural sector in the third quarter of 2023.

Brazil, the world’s leading poultry exporter, is likely to show increased export volumes for 2023, according to statistics up to November last year.

Brazil supplies 90% of all poultry imports into South Africa. What happens to that trade if and when avian influenza (bird flu) hits Brazil’s commercial poultry flocks and bird flu bans come into place?

South Africa’s food price inflation remains high, while overall consumer price inflation levels are dropping.

The poultry and aquaculture sectors set to see modest growth in 2024, while the beef, pork and wild seafood sectors were likely to contract.