The Association of Meat Importers and Exporters (AMIE) continues to boast about the success and potential of beef exports, but says nothing about what, if anything, it is doing to promote chicken exports.
The issue is important, because AMIE has considerable exporting expertise and is a signatory to the poultry master plan, which makes chicken exports a key priority.
AMIE has just signed a co-operation agreement with the SA Freight and Logistics Association (Safla) to deepen their collaboration on meat trade logistics, port operations and regulatory issues.
“In a media release, the parties explain that the partnership will support constructive dialogue on port operations, border processes, veterinary and sanitary requirements, market access, rail and road connectivity and supply-chain resilience,” Engineering News reported.
These are all issues that have kept chicken exports well below potential, but AMIE seems focused on red meat, not chicken.
AMIE estimates that South Africa exported about 81 000 tonnes of red meat, including beef, sheep and goat meat, worth about R63-billion between January 2025 and May 2026, the report said.
No mention of the fact that, over that same period, South Africa exported nearly 58 000 tonnes of chicken. Or the fact that the poultry master plan aims to double and treble those numbers, which would mean substantial revenues for AMIE members.
FairPlay has asked repeatedly what AMIE is doing to facilitate and promote chicken exports, according to its responsibilities outlined in the poultry master plan. The response has been generalities, not specifics.
AMIE bristles at the suggestion that its silence might be hiding inaction. But the question remains: Why is AMIE so voluble about beef, but so shy about chicken?
