Latest News 7 February 2025 • Agriculture Steenhuisen “must ensure that bird flu vaccinations happen” 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. 7 February 2025 • Agriculture Lack of culling compensation makes vaccination more urgent 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. 7 February 2025 • Agriculture Rising risk of bird flu spread to humans 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. 7 February 2025 • Agriculture Trump criticises South Africa 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. 7 February 2025 • Agriculture US tariffs could affect SA agricultural exports 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. 7 February 2025 • Food safety First payments for 2017 listeriosis victims 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. 3 February 2025 • Agriculture Export focus for new poultry master plan 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. 3 February 2025 • Agriculture Chickens must be vaccinated before bird flu returns 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. 3 February 2025 • Dumping and predatory trade Ghana’s chicken dumping nightmare continues 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. 3 February 2025 • Food security Food inflation down again South Africa’s food inflation ended 2024 below the country’s general inflation rate as measured by the consumer price index (CPI), […] 3 February 2025 • Agriculture New EU rules could hit SA agriculture hard 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. 3 February 2025 • International trade Gallstones worth twice their weight in gold Brazil has developed a new and flourishing agricultural export market – the sale of cattle gallstones to Hong Kong and other Asian markets. 28 January 2025 • Agriculture Minister Steenhuisen “must help get bird flu vaccination programme going” 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. 28 January 2025 • Agriculture 2025 is looking good, says SA poultry industry 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. 28 January 2025 • Chicken Industry Let’s make 2025 the year of VAT-free chicken 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. 28 January 2025 • Food security Why VAT-free chicken? 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. 28 January 2025 • Economic development Losing AGOA benefits would “devastate” SA motor industry 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. 28 January 2025 • Chicken Industry Anti-dumping duties are working for SA’s poultry sector Imposing anti-dumping duties on chicken imports had helped the local industry to recover, the South African Poultry Association (SAPA) told The Star newspaper. 28 January 2025 • Agriculture Warning that bird flu could surpass Covid-19 if it mutates If bird flu became transmissible between humans, its impact could be worse than the Covid-19 pandemic. 27 January 2025 • Press releases and statements 2025 must be the year of VAT-free chicken South Africa must not miss another opportunity to make nutritious chicken cheaper for millions of poor people. 20 January 2025 • Food security Nobel laureates warn of global food security threat 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. 20 January 2025 • Agriculture BFAP says StatsSA is overstating agricultural decline 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). 20 January 2025 • Agriculture Release unused land to black farmers The government should make it a priority this year to release unused state land to black farmers, according to agricultural economist Wandile Sihlobo. 20 January 2025 • Chicken Industry Poultry drives South Africa’s meat consumption 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). 20 January 2025 • Agriculture EU’s agricultural regulations will impact SA producers 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. 20 January 2025 • International trade Brazil sets new poultry export record in 2024 Brazil registered yet another record year for poultry meat exports in 2024, with South Africa its fifth largest customer. 13 January 2025 • Economic development Trump tariffs loom large: Is South Africa in the crossfire? 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. 13 January 2025 • Agriculture Is VAT-free chicken on the menu in 2025? 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. 13 January 2025 • Agriculture Will bird flu vaccinations start this year? Bird flu, and the measures to counter it, are going to be key issues both domestically and internationally in 2025. 13 January 2025 • Agriculture Bird flu mutation is now a global concern 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. 13 January 2025 • Chicken Industry Chicken imports are still going down 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. 13 January 2025 • International trade BRICS adds more building blocks BRICS welcomes nine new partner countries, further solidifying its global influence by encompassing half the world’s population and 41% of the global economy. 23 December 2024 • All News Reflecting on 2024 and the road ahead As we close out the year, we’re excited to be able to share FairPlay’s latest annual report with you. 1 2 3 … 153 Next Page »